The Prince of Peace
by SpecterOfFire
Summary: A powerful new wizard arrives at Fairy Tail on a rainy night. Traveling to Ishgar from lands unexplored, he hopes to put some distance between him and the war that drove him to the brink. How will Ishgar change in the wake of the man whose rage laid the foundation for a better future? OC x Harem. M for sex and violence.
1. Arrival

**This is a rewrite of** ** _"A Long Journey"_** **(now renamed** ** _The Prince of Peace_** **). I wasn't able to work on the story for a long time - because I was working on another story, because of this second rewrite, and because of other things that came up. Some elements remain the same, while others have been drastically changed. I have a large backlog to work with, so I'll be updating it weekly at the very least for a while. I can't express enough thanks to everyone that's been reading since inception, and I hope you'll continue to do so.**

 **As before, I'll be incorporating other mythos into the story, although it's mostly the world elements and even then there are significant additions. I've tried to make the chapters longer and interesting and have worked on improving my writing overall. I'll be doing a bit more worldbuilding as well (or at least will be trying my best at it).**

 **The main OC will remain fairly OP up until after the Grand Magic Games end (which is roughly when I'll be diverging a fair bit from the main storyline and when threats begin to escalate). If you guys would like to offer any critique on how I can improve, I'd love to hear it.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **01/14/2017 -** **Ah, the second time I've broken 100,000 words on this story! I want to take a moment to thank you all - to those that read for giving time to the story; to those that favorite for wanting to be updated on its progress; and to those that review (whether praiseworthy or critical) for taking a moment to shed a light on what you think. I appreciate it all very much.**

-o-

It was a dark and stormy night in the magical town of Magnolia - a far cry from the bright and sunny days that usually enveloped it. Street lamps were lit all around the town, giving it a faint and angelic glow. Despite the inclement weather, large swaths of people were heading up, down, and around - going about their business with the usual cheer and merriment.

The weather didn't do anything to dampen anyone's spirits, however - in fact, one could say it bolstered them; a nice and welcome change of pace. Despite how peaceful and warm endless sunshine was, one eventually tired of it - because even endless sunshine eventually became monotonous. Children stood with their heads turned up and mouths open, trying to catch some rainfall. People sat under the awnings of cafes, enjoying pastries and nice, hot cups of coffee and hot chocolate as they gossiped about the usual going on's and happenings in and around the beautiful Kingdom of Fiore.

"Fairy Tail is at it again," someone said exasperatedly, although a hint of fondness could be detected in their voice.

"Ha. I wouldn't pounce on those kids, mate. We're lucky to have them, you know. They keep this place lively. Sure, they get rambunctious here and there, but it's all in good fun, eh?" someone at another table commented. As others around him heard, they chuckled and nodded in agreement. Fairy Tail was indeed the life of this town.

"What about old Gildarts? Has he come back yet? I remember seeing him when I was a bit younger," a lady at an adjacent table asked.

"Whew, I think you missed him. He was here a little while back, but I think he just recently left again to go on another mission. You know him - the Ace of Fairy Tail! Can't stay in one place too long or he'll get bored. I suppose it's all as well, though. Whenever he comes around, I have to worry about my daughter," an old man said with a sigh. A few others laughed but sagely nodded in agreement; Gildarts loved women.

"Young Natsu is going to follow in his footsteps, mark my words. Nobody can keep that kid down. He's burned down my shop at least six times by now. Always pays for it in the end, though," a shopkeeper exclaimed to laughs all around.

"I have to admit, he's pretty cute. Him and the Ice Wizard that's always around - Gray, I think his name is?" a young adult woman commented. A few others murmured their agreement, much to the chagrin of the men around them.

"Sure, sure - but come on, we all know who the most beautiful woman in Fairy Tail is!" a man yelled excitedly. He was met with a single name:

"MIRAJANE!" countless other men yelled, toasting to the resident model of the guild. One would think that the woman would be just as chagrined, but they were in agreement: Mirajane was something else.

"Or Erza. But she's… kind of scary," another man said, looking around to make sure that she wasn't there. A few shivered, but the ladies mostly giggled at the behavior of the men. But they knew in the back of their minds not to mess with Erza.

"Can I get you anything, sir?" the waitress asked a man sitting off in a dark corner of the building. He had a dripping wet hood covering his eyes, evidence of his recent arrival in the town. As he looked up slightly, she saw a small smile.

"Nothing in particular, but perhaps you could tell me a bit about the guild everyone's talking about?" he asked.

"Oh, Fairy Tail? It's the number one guild in Fiore! Their guild hall is quite close by - about half a mile up the main road. Are you thinking of joining?" she asked.

"Mmm, perhaps. Thank you, miss," he said before getting up and taking his leave.

 _'Fairy Tail, hmm?'_ he thought as he began to make his way up the main road.

-o-

One building, in particular, was rowdy as usual. It didn't matter where you were - right next door, a mile away, or clear in the mountains - one could hear the din of what sounded like a fight coming from inside. It was extremely bright in comparison to the buildings around it - the brightest star in an otherwise dim and dark sky, as much as Sol was to Earthland. It stood at the end of the central path of the town, perched on the coast which was simply a dark expanse at this time. Beyond the telltale signs of the rain pattering on the water, one could mistake it for a deep abyss.

The five-story building was a beautiful work of architecture. At the top was a large, golden bell surrounded by six pillars and a roof that shielded it from the rain. Whenever it was sounded, it echoed through the entire town - and usually meant that something was about to be destroyed and that the people should get inside. Directly under it was a banner - a flag of red with a golden border, with a white symbol in the middle. The banner was always bright, lit by braziers of magical fire that never went out, even in the rain or gusty wind. A floor below, there was a large balcony that went all around the building so one could get a beautiful from anywhere. Below that stood two massive wooden doors - sentinels that led into a whole new world. The building was surrounded by a gate with a large portcullis and the name "Fairy Tail" was etched into the metal sign above the gate.

The sign was probably a bit necessary, as this particularly rambunctious guild was well known throughout Magnolia and the Kingdom of Fiore. Countless legends - of the past, present, and future - were born here. Magic was the norm - it was treasured and lauded as opposed to feared, as it was in other places. And one thing that made Fairy Tail very special was the amount of magic that it was full of - both in terms of power and variety.

Inside the guild, it was a non-stop party. Everyone got along very well and considered themselves to be part of a very large family - although one with a considerable amount of friendly rivalry. As people bickered, laughed, and enjoyed themselves, the master of the guild smiled warmly at the scene from the second floor of the building.

"Ah, these children," Master Makarov happily sighed. Although they were prone to destroying all sorts of things - walls, building, entire cities, etc., he couldn't help but love them all dearly as though they were his own.

 _'This is what a guild should be like - full of life and color. Although, if they were a bit more careful, it would be a lot better. I swear, any more bills or complaints and I'll be able to add another wing to guild made entirely of paper,'_ he thought, closing his eyes as he thought of all the paperwork he still had to go through. His adopted children could all stand to be a little bit more careful - although he doubted that _that_ would happen anytime soon.

Master Makarov was a tiny old man - one with decades of knowledge and wisdom. One of the Ten Wizard Saints (a governing body of Ishgar, independently selected by another governing body - the Magic Council; there was some overlap between the members of the two bodies) he had a great amount of power - both magical and political (although he often shirked his duties, preferring to stay with his guild and adopted children). Although seemingly frail, his magic radiated off of him like a waterfall - his very presence palpable. Over the years, he turned Fairy Tail into the greatest guild in Fiore, and perhaps even all of Ishgar - in terms of both strength and kindness. The guild accepted all members that wished to join, turning away no one so long as they had even the slightest amount of magic flowing through their being. Makarov was special in this regard - he had the power to get through people's thick skulls and make them see the error of their ways. He had even convinced and allowed one-time foes to join his guild - knowing that the weight of not turning them from the destructive path they were on would weigh heavily on his mind.

His peaceful thought process was suddenly broken by a loud crash and bang. He sighed as he identified the source.

 _'Looks like Gray and Natsu are at it again. Half of these complaints are directly about them!'_ he thought in an exasperated tone. The two powerful wizards were also two of the most destructive he'd ever known.

"You want to go, flame-brain?!" shouted the ice-make wizard, Gray Fullbuster. With the ability to create and give form to ice out of nothing, Gray was a formidable opponent. He made a fist of his right hand and put it in the palm of his left, retracting both to his left side. A frost began to encircle him, dropping the temperature in his immediate area.

"Let's go, snow stripper!" shouted back Natsu Dragneel. A fire dragon slayer, Natsu was one of the most formidable wizards in the guild. He was raised and taught his magic by the King of the Fire Dragons, Igneel. Natsu took on his adopted father's traits - arrogance, a fiery temper, and a tremendous love for his family.

"Snow stri- oh, for the love of…" said an exasperated Gray, looking down and noticing his clothes were gone. He had a habit of unconsciously getting rid of them, to the chagrin of many around him - men and women alike.

"Don't worry my beloved, I have them!" cried Juvia Loxar, a blue haired water wizard who had been smitten with Gray since the first time she saw him. A powerful wizard in her own right, Juvia was typically reduced to a blubbering tween seeing her celebrity crush for the first time whenever she laid her eyes upon Gray. The unreciprocated love was, oddly enough, not that creepy - in fact, it bordered on adorable.

"Where's Erza when you need her?" grumbled Lucy Heartfilia, a beautiful blonde Celestial Wizard. She scanned the guild for a red haired beauty - Erza Scarlet - hoping she would break up the fight between Natsu and Gray as she usually did. Little did she know that the armor wearing Miss Scarlet was close by, but completely detached from the situation as she was engrossed in a particularly spicy novel lent to her by Levy McGarden, a blue haired beauty that was undoubtedly one of the smartest people in the room - if not _the_ smartest person in the room.

"Oh don't worry about them, Lucy. Boys will be boys, after all," chirped Mirajane Strauss, white-haired bombshell and resident model, as she leaned over the bar. She thought that Natsu and Gray's antics were adorable and natural - after all, fire and ice don't mix well.

"Thatsssss _*hiccup*_ right, Lushy," drawled Cana Alberona, the bra clad drunk of the guild. The brunette beauty had just downed another barrel of particularly strong alcohol that, surprisingly, seemed to take effect on her.

"Alright Cana, I think that's enough for the night. I'm cutting you off," Mira said to Cana, who had just rested her head on the bar.

"I still don't get how she's alive. That much alcohol could probably kill a giant!" Lucy whispered to Mira.

"Well, Cana is one of a kind. Just like everyone else here," Mira replied as she looked lovingly at the guild. They were the closest thing she had to family and she was extremely protective of all of them. This led to her position as a sort of quasi-older sister to everyone; they adored (and some would say feared) her.

"I guess so," Lucy said, sighing but smiling as she observed the raucous scene. Natsu and Gray were beginning to roll around the guild, to the delight and excitement of most of the guild. They picked their favorite and began cheering for them.

"How long do you think it'll be until they rope someone else in?" Lucy asked Mira.

"Not that long. Probably gonna be Elf, if I had to guess," Mira sighed.

"Speaking of which, where is he? I don't see him around," Lucy inquired, looking around for Mira's big brother. The macho-man type, Elfman was typically seen boasting about said manliness. He was usually the first to step into the fray, after Natsu and Gray; although right now, he was conspicuously absent.

"Not sure. Looks like Lisanna isn't here either, though. I guess they probably went out or something," Mira said.

"In this rain?! Who'd be dumb enough to do that?!" Lucy asked. As she looked around, she let out an audible groan. "Oh, that's right. _Us."_

"Aww, we aren't that bad," Mira said in her usual upbeat tone.

"The girls aren't the problem. It's not even most of the guys! It's _specifically_ those two idiots," Lucy deadpanned.

"I'm honestly kind of surprised," Cana said, recovering ridiculously quickly. She rubbed her eyes and blinked a few times to readjust her vision.

"About what?" Lucy wondered.

"That half the guild isn't destroyed yet," Cana smirked, eliciting another groan from Lucy. With a deep sigh, Lucy headed on over to try and stop the two.

"Think she'll stop them?" Cana asked Mira.

"Not a chance. Maybe if Gajeel stepped in, they could tire themselves out. But I'm not too sure of that happening," Mira said, surreptitiously pointing across the guild. Cana giggled as she saw what Mira was trying to show her.

"Gajeel and Levy. I _never_ would've figured them together. Kinda cute. Kinda weird," Cana said.

"Aww, don't be like that! They're so adorable together!" Mira squealed in delight.

"Mmhm. But what about you, Mira? When was the last time you even went out on a date?" Cana wondered.

"Mmm… I dunno. A while, I suppose. We've all been so busy, I suppose I haven't had the time. Doesn't help that the last guy I went out with turned out to be a complete asshole," Mira sighed as she turned around to stock some more alcohol. Cana observed the white-haired beauty go about her business, a thoughtful expression on her face. It had been a while since either of them out in such a manner.

"What about Laxus? He's pretty hot," Cana suggested. Mira let out a giggle at the suggestion.

"Oh, I don't think that'd work out," she said with a wink.

"Why not?" Cana asked in surprise. Laxus was one of the most attractive men in the guild, despite his current hiatus.

"Just trust me on this," Mira said slyly.

"Freed? Bixlow?" Cana suggested two more attractive males. She looked around the guild but couldn't find them.

"Nope. And I don't think Bixlow and I would work. He's into girls that are a bit… younger," Mira sighed.

"Natsu? Gray?" Cana wondered.

"Natsu's like a little brother. And-," Mira began before Juvia was suddenly upon them, her eyes boring deep into Cana and Mira' soul.

"Gray. Mine. No. Touch!" she warned them. Mira and Cana quickly nodded. Satisfied in her position, the water mage retreated back to her beloved's side. Glancing at each other, Mira and Cana broke into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah, as you can see that would _never_ work," Mira laughed.

"Nab? Vijeeter? Macao? Wakaba?" Cana said.

"Nab and Vijeeter are like brothers as well. Same with Jet and Droy. Macao and Wakaba? No way. Married. I'm not a homewrecker," Mira said.

"You could be," Cana said in a sing-song voice, eliciting a smirk from the beauty. She simply shook her head again.

"That leaves… Master Makarov and Gildarts. No. _Fucking_. Way. Too old," Cana deadpanned, her head falling to the counter again.

"Ha. And there you go. And there's really no other guild nearby. Unless Mr. Right walks in through the doors, something tells me it's going to stay like this for a while," Mira said.

"Ugh. It _so should not_ be this hard you and I. Anyways, I'm gonna go get drunk with Laki. See you, Mira," Cana said, quickly grabbing a drink and heading over to another guild member. With a sigh, Mira got back to work - the conversation running through her mind.

-o-

As he walked down the center road, the Fairy Tail guild hall became larger and larger. On the sides he saw people bustling about, attending to their own business and trying their best to not get wet - a fool's errand in this deluge. Nobody seemed to notice him, which suited him well. He had gotten used to being alone - it had been a while since he had even interacted with another human. And, after his long journey, all he wanted was a nice hot meal and a warm bed. Figuring out what came after would no doubt fall into place.

 _'Maybe I should've taken her on her offer and eaten. Oh well,'_ he thought, a hand on his grumbling stomach.

As he drew closer to the guild hall, he could hear the occupants talking and laughing. Witnessing such joy with any of his senses brought a smile to his lips.

 _'Feels good to see civilization again, at least'_ he thought.

Finally, he crossed the large wooden doors and was bathed in a bright, warm light. He could see the people around him interacting with each other happily. A bluenette with glasses was engrossed in a book and surrounded by three men. Two were peering over her shoulder from either side - one with orange hair tied up at the top of his head, wearing brown suspenders with a purple shirt and the other with black hair tied up at the top of his head, wearing a white button-up shirt with a yellow jacket. Across from her sat a man with long, wild, black hair that went down the length of his back. He had a stern expression set on his face, which was adorned with metal rivets. On his shoulder sat a black cat-like creature with a scar above his left eye.

 _'Hmm… are these two a couple? Interesting pairing, to say the least,'_ the new arrival thought. Luckily no one had noticed him as he made his way through the hall, taking in the sights. A man was standing in front of a bulletin board covered with flyers with numbers on them; two guys, one with pink hair and one with jet black hair, were fighting with each other. A tiny bluenette with hair reaching below her waist was playing with a white cat-like creature and a blue cat-like creature, similar to the black one he had just seen.

 _'What are those things? Kind of cute but… never mind. Shouldn't be surprised there are new creatures here,'_ he thought to himself. Answers could wait.

As he was around three-quarters of the way towards the back, he felt the gaze of someone watching him from the second story. At least one person had been made aware of his presence - to be expected, he figured.

He walked over to the bar which was now empty save for a white haired maiden attending it. He stood still for a second, admiring her. Despite coming across countless beautiful women on his journey, this one was a cut above them. Her silky white hair went down her back, save for a small tuft that was tied at the top. She wore a well fitting dress that hugged and accentuated her curves, cutting off around the shins - conservative, to say the least.

Mira looked on in surprise as she saw the new arrival take his seat. It wasn't often that Fairy Tail had unannounced guests, and it seemed as though this one made his way throughout the entire guild without alerting anyone to his presence. She couldn't sense any particular magic on him, but shelved the thought as she saw him shiver slightly - he was completely drenched.

"Hello, I'm Mirajane Strauss! I don't think I've ever seen you around Magnolia before," she said, smiling as she greeted him. Mira finally began to take in his appearance. He wore a beautiful hood and cloak - black velvet it seemed, with a symmetrical white tree emblazoned on the back of it. Above the top of the tree was a winged crown and along its sloped branches were seven stars. Underneath the cloak, she made out the hilt of a sword - the make she did not know - as well as a black vest and pants. As he removed his hood, she took in his handsome features. His coal black eyes twinkled warmly in the well-lit hall. His hair was wet, thanks to the rain outside, and come down to the tip of his shoulders - black as a starless night. She could see a bit of stubble across his rugged face.

 _'Hmm… pretty handsome,'_ she thought, smirking inwards - the conversation with Cana was still fresh on her mind. As her eyes trailed back to his sword, however, Mira put herself on guard. With all that had transpired lately, she couldn't afford to be weary.

The visitor noticed her tense up ever so slightly - a small movement most would likely miss. He wasn't offended at all - a stranger showing up in what was essentially someone's house? He'd be more surprised if she didn't react as she did.

"Sorry for intruding at such a late hour, Ms. Strauss. I've been traveling for a while and this is my first time in Magnolia. Needless to say, I'm a bit weary," he said in a gentle voice, smiling at the beauty.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel unwelcome. It's just that we don't often get visitors in this kind of weather - or this late at night. And please, call me Mira - everyone does. What are you doing here, if you don't mind my asking?" Mira wondered.

"I don't mind at all Ms. - sorry, Mira. Like I said, I've been traveling for a while now, on and off the beaten path. This is my first time in the Kingdom of Fiore, and Magnolia by extension. I suppose you could say that I'm an explorer or adventurer of sorts - I like to travel, and there's still so much of the world to be seen," he explained, taking in his surroundings.

"That sounds exciting! Well, allow me to welcome you to Magnolia and the Fairy Tail guild. Oh! I'm sorry! You said you're new, so you might not know what a guild is. A guild is basically an association of wizards - it's a place where they gather, form teams, and go on jobs. You can find jobs to go on at the board over there," Mira said, pointing to the board. "Which reminds me - are you here to join? Or are you just passing through?"

"Hmm… well, if I did want to join - what's the process like? Do I apply or…?" the visitor trailed off.

"That's all it takes my boy," said a new voice, walking along the bar. Wearing a bright orange outfit, Master Makarov made his way to the new arrival.

"Oh, hello master! I didn't see you there," Mira said happily to Master Makarov.

"So, you want to join Fairy Tail, eh? What's your name, son?" Makarov asked. The visitor took in the appearance of the diminutive man but wasn't fooled. He could sense a significant amount of magic and power emanating from Master Makarov - he was obviously someone you didn't want to mess with.

"Hi there. My name is Strider. And yes, I think I might. Although perhaps you could talk a bit about the other guilds around here? I'd like to make an informed decision," Strider said.

"A smart question, Strider. Certainly, I'll share some information about other guilds. You already know a bit about Fairy Tail - we're the top guild in Fiore! That's not just boasting and tooting our own horn, though. We have quite a few strong wizards - those two that are fighting are Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster, a Fire Dragon Slayer and Ice-Make wizard - two of our best. The blue haired child and that man with the metal studs are Wendy Marvel and Gajeel Redfox - Sky and Iron Dragon Slayers respectively. The armored knight is Erza Scarlet, an accomplished fighter, and the white-haired giant and the little girl next to him are Elfman and Lisanna Strauss - and Mira here is their eldest sister. All three are accomplished take-over mages," Makarov ended as he pointed at Mira's siblings. who had just re-entered - soaking wet.

"Oh, you're too kind Master," Mira said with a pleasant smile.

"Some of our members have gone home - no doubt you'll meet them tomorrow, though. And I'm Makarov Dreyar, the master of this guild. Nice to meet ya!" Makarov said, shaking Strider's hand.

"Now, there are several other guilds - Blue Pegasus ("Oh, they're so sweet!" Mira interjected quickly), Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, Twilight Ogre - and so much more, that I can't remember them all. Each guild has their own strengths and weaknesses. Blue Pegasus, for example, has a bunch of pretty boys and girls! Might be the prettiest guild in all of Fiore, in fact! Quatro Cerberus - the wildest guild in the country! Or so they like to think. I don't think that Goldmine gets as many complaints as I do..," Makarov grumbled, rubbing his temples. Strider looked to Mira, who just smiled at him.

"You're trailing off, master," Mira said

"Hmm? Oh, right! Now where was I… ah, yes! Lamia Scale says they're balanced - but trust me, they're not. Way too serious and up themselves. They need to learn what it means to have fun - and no one better than Fairy Tail to teach them!" Makarov said, a fist in the air. Strider chortled at the excitement the old man conjured up. Despite his age, he could tell that he was young at heart. Mira let out an exasperated sigh at hearing the master of the guild talk that way about Lamia Scale - despite how right he might be.

"Master! That's not very nice!" she chided him.

"But you know it's true, Mira! Like I said, Strider, no better guild than Fairy Tail! And that's not just favoritism. We're like a family here. We take care of our own. I truly believe that's what makes Fairy Tail so special amongst all the guilds," Makarov said, turning serious at last. Strider saw the passion in his eyes and nodded.

"That sounds right up my alley, I think. Perhaps it's short notice… perhaps I should take a moment to look around the other guilds - but I think I'd like to join your guild. If you'll have me, that is," Strider said.

"Of course, we'll have you, my boy! Mira, could you get the stamp while I talk with our newest member for a bit? Some food for him as well - you must be starving," Makarov said worriedly, taking in his otherwise disheveled status. The rain was not kind to him.

"Certainly, although I don't wish to impose…," Strider said before Mira interjected.

"Oh my! How could I have forgotten to get you something to eat?! I'm so sorry. I'll be right back!" she squealed. Taking one more look at Strider, she hurried into the kitchen to prepare something for hum to eat.

"So, Strider my boy, what kind of magic do you use? That's the most important thing when joining a Mages Guild. Don't worry if you're not developed in it yet, though - that's what we're here for!" Makarov said. Finally tearing his eyes away from the door Mira went through, Strider looked at Makarov.

"Sorry about that, Master Makarov. My magic. Right. Well, I think I should preface with the fact that I'm already fairly adept at using it. I've uh… spent a lot of training in difficult situations. As I told Mira, I'm a bit of an adventurer and explorer - so I've had plenty of time to get it up to scratch. I was a soldier for a while, so I managed to pick up a few things here and there. My preference, however, is telekineses," Strider said as he pointed to an empty beer mug that Cana left on the table. Palm side down, he pointed at the cup and lifted his right forefinger slightly. To Makarov's joy and astonishment, the cup began to levitate.

"My! That's quite impressive, child! Most mages control their own magic through telekineses, but this is the first time that I've ever seen someone else influence other objects through it. You mentioned that you picked up a few things here and there. More kinds of magic?" Makarov asked, intrigued.

"More or less. My sword, for example, is imbued with magic from back home. It serves as a wonderful weapon against particular threats - where it's more effective. Other magic, however… probably not the best setting to use it in," Strider said with a wry smile as he looked around the building. Makarov nodded.

"I understand. Otherwise, very impressive, my boy! I think you'll fit right in here. Anyways, I better make the announcement that we have a new recruit! Give me a shout when you're done, Mira!" Makarov said as Mira reentered the room.

"Here we go! This is the stamp of our guild. Where would you like it?" Mira asked Strider sweetly.

"Here is fine, Mira," he said as he rolled up a bit of his right sleeve, exposing only a small portion of his wrist.

She pressed the stamp to his skin and when she removed the press, he saw a black symbol in the shape of the Fairy Tail symbol.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail, Strider," Mira said kindly.

"Thank you," he replied with a smile as he began to dig into the meal she prepared for him - eggs and bacon with a side of roasted and charred tomatoes and toast.

"You seem hungry," Mira giggled as she watched him scarf it down.

"Oh, you've no idea. Pardon my table manners," Strider said.

"Not at all. We're ready here, Master!" she called out.

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" Makarov yelled loudly over the din. Almost immediately, everyone stopped talking and looked up at him.

"Hell. That guy can shout," Strider said, impressed. Makarov had a booming and commanding voice, all the more surprising for his size.

"You've also joined the most rambunctious guild in all of Fiore. He has to be loud when the situation calls for it," Mira giggled.

"GOOD! Now listen up! I'd like to introduce someone to you all! This here is Strider!" Makarov roared, pointing to the new arrival. Strider felt everyone's eyes snap to him. Looking through the guild hall, he noted that there were quite a few beautiful women. His eyes soon fell on a particular pink haired boy, though - who was grinning happily at him.

"I expect everyone to make him feel right at home! Now Strider… you've joined Fairy Tail and you have an idea of what it means. There are three important rules that you have to abide by, however! It's often the case that we grow up and want to see more of what this world has - necessitating a leave from the guild. You may freely go as you wish, so long as you abide by these three rules: One! You must never reveal sensitive information about Fairy Tail to others for as long as you live. Two! You must never use former contacts met through your being in the guild for personal gain! And three! Though our paths may diverge, you must continue to live out your life with all your might, you must never consider your own life to be something insignificant, and you must never forget about your friends for as long as you may live! Do you understand?" Makarov asked, pure passion in his voice as he repeated his guilds creed. Stride paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yes. I do," he answered in a quiet voice - one that was heard throughout.

"Good. And now the most important part of welcoming our newest member: PARTY!" Makarov roared, his hands raised high to the sky. Everyone let out a cheer before rushing the newest Fairy. Natsu was the first to reach him.

"Strider! My names Natsu! Come on, let's fight!" the dragon slayer yelled as he flashed a toothy grin. Strider chuckled at his enthusiasm.

"You idiot! He's new - he doesn't want to fight just yet!" piped in Lucy, exasperated at Natsu's good natured belligerence. As she looked at Strider, he looked at her. Lucy felt a blush creep on her cheeks as his twinkling black eyes stared into her wide brown ones.

 _'Wow, he's… really hot,'_ she thought, giving him a small smile that he returned. Doing a quick scan of the guild, she couldn't find anyone that measured up to him in terms of attractiveness - something about his features simply drew her in. Mira noted Lucy staring and smirked inwards; no doubt she was having the same thought about the newest arrival that she was.

"So what kind of magic do you use?" inquired Wendy, looking up at him. He was a solid 6'4, towering above the tiny Dragon Slayer. Wendy grumbled a bit at that; everyone was taller than her in this guild.

"Where are you from? I've never seen that symbol before!" asked Levy, intrigued by the symbol on the back of his cloak.

"Now, now - settle down a bit!" Mira ordered everyone, worried about overloading the newcomer so quickly. "Let's give him some room to breathe. Strider's had a long journey and I'm sure that he could use some food and drink before he answers too many questions."

"Ha. It's fine, Mira. I don't mind. Let's see… Natsu, is it? I'm afraid there's no fight in me for tonight. But perhaps you and I could spar tomorrow?" Strider suggested.

"You're on!" Natsu agreed eagerly, punching the air. His blue flying cat circled his head with a similar amount of glee.

"To answer your question, Miss, I use telekinesis magic," Strider said to the blue haired Dragon Slayer. He pointed at her cat and made her levitate.

"Wow," Wendy looked on in an awe that only a child could achieve as she saw her companion, a white flying cat, trying to regain control of her body.

"You've had your fun! Now put me down!" she said to Strider in a haughty tone.

"My apologies, Miss," Strider said, apologizing. It didn't surprise him that the cat could talk - or if it did, he didn't show it.

"Carla. I'm an Exceed, as are the other two," she said. Carla pointed at the black Exceed and said "Lily," and the blue Exceed and said "Happy."

"A pleasure," Strider said, as he nodded at the two. He got used to seeing strange creatures in his travels - although they weren't all this adorable.

"The pleasure is all my mine. Impressive magic you got there," said Lily, intrigued by the telekineses.

"Thank you. And to answer your question, I come from the Northern Continent," Strider said, smiling at Levy. He noted the man with rivets shift a bit aa he turned his attention to her; no doubt they were on the precipice of a relationship.

Levy's gasp didn't go unnoticed by the others, as their eyes darted between her and Strider, who had a grim smile on his face.

"I wasn't aware of any connections between Ishgar and the Northern Continent. In fact, besides Alvarez, I don't think we have any communication with other continents - and even that's been ceased," Levy said. Others looked on in confusion.

"You're quite right. I don't recall any ships making the journey across the Great Sea successfully. The waters are quite perilous - even the greatest ships are often ripped apart there. Whirlpools and water spouts are a constant danger, not to mention the large flora and fauna that can trap or destroy ships with ease. My powers don't just affect what's around me, though. I can use them on myself," Strider said. He asked everyone to give him some room as he began to levitate a foot off the ground. His new guild mates looked on in awe. Natsu was the first to speak.

"That. Is. AWESOME! I thought only wind wizards like Eribor could fly like that?!" he exclaimed.

"You idiot, it's Erigor, not Eribor. But I thought so too. That's pretty neat," Gray said as he looked on in wonder and excitement. He didn't admit it, but he wanted to try his hand at Strider as well; he seemed to be quite formidable.

 _'Guess I can kick his ass when Flame Brain can't!'_ he thought to himself.

"Thank you. It took a lot of concentration and power to fly over here, though. Put me out of commission for close to a week before I continued my journey throughout Fiore. Could barely move, let alone walk," Strider said wryly. Levy nodded, staring intently at him. Now wasn't the right time, but she wanted to get him alone soon so she could interview him.

 _'A mage from the Northern Continent! NO WAY!'_ she thought excitedly.

"Why'd you come all the way over here?" Gjaeel asked gruffly. He grimaced as he saw Levy shoot him a dark look for his disrespectful tone. Looking between the two, Strider smiled inwards; there was undoubtedly some chemistry there.

"Well, can't say that I had any sort of plan when I set out. I flew South, figuring there was _something_ here. Lucky I was right, I suppose. I heard people talk about guilds and Fairy Tail, so I thought I'd make my way over here," Strider said.

"HOW MUCH A MAN ARE YOU?!" Elfman roared. Strider simply looked bewildered by the question, turning to Mira who let out a sigh as she facepalmed.

"Excuse my younger brother. He's obsessed with being the manliest… man in the room," Mira whispered. Strider chuckled before nodding and turning his gaze back to Elfman.

"Manly, but not as much of a man as you, friend. You must work out quite a bit," Strider said, taking in Elfman's massive frame. The white haired Takeover mage grinned proudly, hands on his hips as he struck a pose. Lisanna sighed as well before looking at her sister. Her attention was unusually focused as she looked at Strider. Taking the newcomers appearance in, Lisanna couldn't deny that he was quite handsome. She compared him to her former crush, Natsu. While Natsu was attractive in a cute sort of way, Strider was much better built - not to mention he seemed far more mature. Noticing her staring at him, the new Fairy flashed Lisanna a charming smile. She blushed before returning it.

"Are you into men, by any chance?" Juvia asked, standing squarely in front of him - a dangerous look on her face.

"Women for me, Miss," Strider said, bewildered.

"Good!" Juvia said before walking over to Gray and gazing longingly at him. Strider raised an eyebrow at Mira, who just giggled before leaning on him and whispering in his ear.

"She loves him, but he doesn't feel the same way. Basically, no competition can exist for his heart. That goes for guys as well as girls," she said.

"That's either really creepy or really adorable. I honestly can't decide which," Strider whispered back. Mira felt a slight shiver go down her spine as she felt his breath on her. Retracting herself to full height, she was blushing a bit - something that didn't go unnoticed by Cana, who smirked. She bit her lip as her eyes fell on the new arrival, finally taking his appearance in.

 _'Mira and I just had that conversation, and in walks this guy. I'm not sure if someone was listening or what. Hmm… really attractive, that's for sure,'_ Cana thought as she surreptitiously took a seat at the bar, staring his way. Out of the corner of her eye, Mira noted the same thing.

"Perhaps you all should introduce yourselves as well," Makarov suggested.

"RIGHT! MY NAME IS NATSU! I'M A FIRE-DRAGON SLAYER!" Natsu declaimed.

"Hi! I'm Wendy! I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer!" Wendy said cheerfully. Strider smiled at her as he ruffled her hair to several coos's of delight from the women.

"Gajeel. Iron Dragon Slayer," Gajeel said.

"Really? You three are Dragon Slayers, you say? That's quite interesting. I've never heard of Dragon Slayer magic. How many have you all slain?" he asked with deep interest. Everyone sweat dropped as Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel deflated.

"Uhh… well. Zero," Natsu said sheepishly.

"Oh? How are you Dragon Slayers, then, if you don't mind my asking?" Strider inquired.

"It's more of a… uh… well, it's more of a name only kind of thing, I guess," Gajeel said lamely. Strider chuckled and nodded, deciding not to press the point any further for the moment.

"I'm Lisanna. Mira's sister. This is my big brother, Elf. We're Takeover mages," Lisanna answered.

"Gray Fullbuster. Ice-Make Wizard," Gray said.

"Juvia. Gray's beloved," Juvia said as she nuzzled him, much to Gray's chagrin.

"Erza Scarlet. Requip Mage. Welcome to Fairy Tail," the scarlet beauty said. Strider smiled and nodded his thanks before his eyes passed over everyone else. They continued their introductions. Finally, his eyes landed on Cana, who smiled at him.

"Cana Alberona. Card Mage," she said, raising her mug. Grabbing his, Strider clinked it before downing it with her, both smiling at each other as they ended. Finally, Mira spoke again.

"Now, he's had a long journey everyone. Save the rest of your questions for tomorrow, alright?" she said. Everyone backed away quickly, which intrigued Strider. It seems that under the beautiful exterior, there was a demon.

"See you tomorrow man!" Gray said, waving at Strider before he got right back to punching Natsu in a far corner of the guild. Neither wished to cross Mira. Slowly, the guild began to empty until only a few were left - Strider, Makarov, Mira, Cana, Lucy, and Erza - each of them quiet and mainly minding their own business, stealing glances here and there.

"Thank you for the food, Mira. Best I've eaten in a while," Strider finally said, smiling at her as he finished up.

"Not a problem. I'm sorry it took so long to get to you. I should've done that from the get-go," Mira sighed.

"Don't worry about it. It was certainly worth the wait," Strider said.

"Do you know where you're staying for the night?" she wondered.

"Lucy, don't you have your own place?" Cana asked the blonde.

"Hmm? Yeah, why?" Lucy said. She turned a bright shade of red as Strider winked at her.

"I'M SORRY I ONLY HAVE ONE BEDROOM NO BOYS SO YOU CAN'T STAY SORRY I'M NOT THAT TYPE OF GIRL!" she squealed loudly. Strider just laughed before turning back to Mira, while Lucy was left blubbering in embarrassment.

 _'Damn it, Cana! And in front of the new guy!'_ Lucy thought to herself, shooting a glance at the card mage who just smiled back at her.

"Don't know. Was thinking of getting a room somewhere. Know any good places?" Strider asked.

"Hmm… most of the girls still in Fairy Hills, which is an all girls dorm," Mira said.

"Yeah? Sounds perfect. When can I go there?" Strider asked with a smirk.

"Sorry. Strict no boys policy. You're a bad influence," Mira said with a giggle.

"I'm offended you think so. I'm quite the gentleman," Strider said.

"Mhm, I'm sure. We have a few beds upstairs, though. Come on, I'll show you. You can start taking on jobs tomorrow and move later," Mira said as she took his hand and led him upstairs. He noted how warm and soft her hand was. His mind trailed back in time, his lips slightly parted as he took another look at Mira's flowing silver hair.

 _'She's… so similar to her,'_ he thought, before pushing it out. Now wasn't the time.

"Here we are!" Mira said as she led him into the room. She waited until he finally got settled in one of the beds.

"Thank you, Mira," he said, smiling at her.

"Good night. I'll see you tomorrow!" Mira said, before exiting the room. "Sweet dreams," she whispered, closing the door.

He heard what she said and smiled. He laid his head down on the cool pillow and closed his eyes, letting the cozy and warm darkness fall over him; no doubt some fun adventures were awaiting him.

-o-

"So Mira…," Cana began as she came down.

"Hmm?" Mira wondered.

"New guy," Cana said with a smirk. Mira sighed and shook her head before beginning her duties. The new arrival was heavy on her mind, although she didn't particularly feel like sharing that with anyone just yet. Cana sighed before looking above, where Strider was now sleeping.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Cana said as she finished her drink and put on a heavy jacket. Grabbing her umbrella, she headed towards Fairy Hills, Erza at her side - still reading.

"Ugh. I really don't want to go out in that weather," Lucy said fretfully.

"You might want to try and catch Cana and Erza, then. Maybe you can stay over there for the night," Mira suggested. Lucy nodded and quickly ran out. Mira giggled at her antics before she stopped and took a seat on the barstool.

 _'Strider, hmm? Who are you?'_ she wondered.


	2. Strider

Strider viciously jerked awake, his unsheathed sword in hand. His breathing was heavy, pupils dilated, and senses on high alert.

"It was just a nightmare… it was just a nightmare… Relax," he whispered to himself, trying to calm down - a feat that was much easier said than done. The cold sweat glistened on his body as his past experiences came back to haunt him. He had but to look down to be reminded of all the pain.

 _'Fuck,'_ he thought to himself, his memory drifting to the horrors that haunted him. He bit his tongue, trying to use the pain to drive them out, but to no avail.

He stretched, a few pops escaping here and there; almost immediately, he sat back down on the bed, body weary. He took a moment before getting up again and heading to the bathroom. As he doused himself in cold water and dried off, he paused to look at himself. He didn't know if the man that stared back at him was a stranger or not.

 _'Am I fooling myself by coming here? I still have some responsibility. But… No. No, I need this. I need it,'_ he thought, rubbing his temples.

Opening the window, he let the elements inside. The rain was still coming down hard, but he enjoyed it. It gave the air a fresh feel - one that he soaked in with bliss. He glanced over at the clock - close to 6:00am. The day was just beginning, and it seemed as though it would be similar to the one before: rainy. After taking a cold shower and getting dressed in his clothes from the night before, he was down in the main guild hall by 06:30am. It wasn't long before he was greeted by the smell of breakfast.

"Who else is awake?" he wondered aloud, as he went towards the source of the smell which was coming from the bar area. "Hello?"

"Oh, Strider! You're awake!" he was greeted with the bright smile of Mirajane Strauss, resident bartender of Fairy Tail.

"Good morning, Mira," he smiled at her. "What're you up to?"

"Oh, just making some coffee and breakfast! Would you like to join me?" she asked, hiking her thumb behind the counter and inviting him to the kitchen area.

"Sure, thank you," he said before hopping over to her side.

She led him to the kitchen, where she had prepared some eggs and toast with a pot of coffee. As she prepared another plate, he took an empty seat at the table and began to relax, taking in the smell of the warm and fragrant meal. He picked up a different scent as well - something heady that made him catch his breath. He looked around for the source, before mentally slapping himself for missing what was right in front of him.

"That smells amazing, Mira," he said. She caught on to the double meaning and gave a sly smile with her back still turned to him.

"Oh? The food or the perfume?" she wondered innocently.

"Ha. Both," he said, chuckling slightly.

"Well, thank you for the compliment. Both of them," she said as she turned around, setting a new plate before him. Both began to eat their meals happily. Strider was chewing as slowly as possible - making sure to take in the aroma and taste of every bite, determined not to miss even the slightest flavor. After so long a time on the road, he wanted to enjoy the little things - a warm bed, a nice, home cooked meal and the company of a beautiful woman.

"Did you sleep well?" Mira suddenly asked, taking a pause to look at him.

"I did," Strider said with a strained smile. "Been a while since I've had a bed, though, so it was a welcome change."

"Where did you sleep on your travels?" Mira wondered.

"Wherever I could find a place, really. I don't mind camping out, though - so it was never a major problem. It's been a fun road, but I think I'm ready to take a little break," Strider said.

"Do you mean that you're not planning on staying here?" Mira asked with a frown.

"Mmm, I haven't decided to be quite honest. Right now, I'm letting life lead me wherever it wants to. I don't really have any intention of going back home yet - at least not anytime soon. So I figure that this might be a… interesting route to travel," he answered.

"I see. A nomad, hmm?" she asked.

"I suppose you could say that. It's worked well for me so far, though," he replied.

"For what it's worth, I hope you decide to stay. Especially considering how quickly you decided to join Fairy Tail, we'd hate to lose you so soon," Mira said.

"The guild certainly has a broad upside," Strider said with a pleasant smile.

"How long has it been since you came to Ishgar? Or Fiore?" Mira inquired.

"A few months, perhaps? At least, that's when I landed. Or... I think I landed here. Or maybe not… uhh…," Strider wracked his brain, trying to remember what he was thinking when he made the journey, as well as his initial landing.

"Having trouble remembering?" Mira giggled.

"You could say that. I don't remember much of my first week on the continent, though - that might have something to do with it," Strider said casually.

"What?" Mira asked in shock.

"What?" Strider wondered.

"You don't remember your first week?" she asked uncertainly.

"Nope. Like I said last night, my flight put me out of commission for close to a week. It takes a significant amount of concentration to traverse that distance. I'm actually surprised I didn't end up losing power halfway through," Strider chuckled.

"That's not funny. You know how dangerous those waters are," Mira frowned.

"I thought it was. That's by the by, though. I'm here now," he said.

"Mmm. So what's your first impression of Fairy Tail?" she wondered.

"Beautiful, in a word," he said, flashing a charming smile at her. Mira blushed slightly, looking down at her plate. Strider saw the ghost of a smile creep on her lips.

"That's sweet. But seriously," she said, finally looking up again.

"I'm completely serious," he said. She was about to speak when there was a loud crash and bang.

"What was that?" Strider asked, shooting up and ready to unsheath his blade.

"Calm down!" Mira said in a slight panic. She quickly jumped up alongside him, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder. She saw his face had lost all previous emotion; he looked more akin to an animal about to pounce than man. As she looked to his hand, she saw the knuckles ready to break through the skin, drawing blood away from the extremity.

"An attack?" he snarled under his breath.

"No. That's probably Natsu. He loves to make a grand entrance if you couldn't tell yet. He's probably really excited to finally have some alone time with you. He loves to fight, although it's usually with Gray. don't worry," Mira said, trying to lighten the mood. After a pause, Strider finally calmed down, giving her a strained smile. Looking at him directly, Mira saw that the twinkle had all but left the dilated eyes.

"I see. Sorry about that. I...," he trailed off uncomfortably.

"I understand," Mira said softly, gently rubbing his shoulder. Strider took a moment to compose himself. Looking carefully at him again, she saw the warmth had returned to his eyes and the smile was at least a bit less forced.

"Well, it's best that I not disappoint on my first day as a full-fledged member of Fairy Tail. Thanks again for the meal, Mira," Strider said, swooping down and kissing her on the cheek. Mira's eyes widened in surprise as she felt his rough lips connect with her cheek, making her blush a furious red. "See you later."

Mira brought a hand to her chest and felt her heart beat wildly. It had been a long time since she had shared a kiss with anyone, even something as simple on the cheek. She touched the spot where his lips connected. It felt as though it was one fire, she thought.

 _'Why'd he do that? Wait, why am I asking that? It's obvious, isn't it? Or is it? Mmm…,'_ her thoughts trailed off, trying to put a reason to his actions. Sighing, she began to clean up. No doubt he'd be on her mind all of this day as well, now.

 _'He looked just about ready to attack whoever that was. I wonder what...?'_ Mira trailed off, shaking her head gently.

-o-

As Strider saw the boy, he let out a sigh.

 _'That could've been bad. I hope I didn't scare her off already,'_ he thought.

"Hey there, Natsu. How're you doing?" Strider asked as he approached the pink haired Dragon Slayer. Natsu grinned wide as he saw the newest Fairy.

"Strider! Just the man I was looking for! It's time for our fight!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Ha. Sure, Natsu. Let's head out, though. I don't want to destroy anything here just yet. Know a good place where we can cut loose?" Strider asked.

"I know just the place! Come on, follow me!" Natsu said, leading Strider out the doors of the guild. The rain was still pouring down, but the small party didn't mind; the only thing on their mind now was how would the other man fare?

As they made their way through Magnolia, Strider kept turning his head side to side, taking in the sights. He couldn't help but compare it against his homeland.

"So tell me a bit about yourself, Natsu," Strider said as he ran a hand through his hair. The rain had soaked in completely, but as opposed to feeling icky, Strider felt almost instantly refreshed.

"Huh? What do you wanna know?" Natsu inquired.

"Whatever you're comfortable sharing, I suppose," Strider said.

"Well, let's see. You know that I'm a Fire Dragon Slayer, right?" he asked.

"Yup. And Wendy is a Sky Dragon Slayer, while Gajeel is an Iron Dragon Slayer. Interesting names, given the fact that you all don't seem to have had many interactions with Dragons," Strider mentioned.

"Well, they were all raised by dragons," Happy interjected.

"Really? That's pretty amazing," Strider said in surprise. He didn't know many dragons that were so kind, that they'd take anyone in in such a way - especially not at that age.

"Aye!" Happy chirped.

"Yeah, my dad's a dragon. Igneel, a Fire Dragon. He's the one that gave me this scarf. I've been looking for him for years now, but…," Natsu trailed off as he held the scaly scarf in his hands. Strider observed him, sensing the mood change significantly.

"I see. He… abandoned you?" Strider asked.

"I dunno. I guess. The same happened with Metallica and Grandina - Gajeel's and Wendy's dragons. But…," Natsu trailed off, unusually thoughtful.

"But what?" Strider pressed.

"They all disappeared on the same day. July 7, X777," Natsu said.

"I see. The seventh day of the seventh month of the seven hundred and seventy-seventh year," Strider said, closing his eyes as he wracked his brain. He didn't know too much about this new country that he now called home, but he figured any little bit would help.

"What? What is it?" Natsu asked, looking at him.

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking. It seems to random to be coincidence, however. Especially if it was of them on the same day. No, I think you might be right in looking for Igneel. Something tells me there's more to this than meets the eye," Strider said.

"Really?! You believe me?!" Natsu asked aghast, rounding on him.

"I do," Strider said.

"You believe in dragons?! I mean when I told Lucy, she thought I was insane!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Well, we were looking for Igneel in a city…," Happy trailed off.

"Dragons exist," Strider said with a smile.

"Have you seen any?" Natsu asked excitedly.

"I have. Back home, however. Not here. Yet," Strider answered, adding the last word on for good measure.

"NO WAY!? YOU HAVE DRAGONS BACK THERE?! DO THEY HAVE A NAME? WHAT COLOR?! HOW BIG?! DID THEY TEACH YOU ANYTHING!? DO THEY KNOW IGNEEL?! COME ON MAN, I NEED TO KNOW!" the Fire Dragon exclaimed excitedly.

"Slow down there, buddy. Let's see. Well, there's one dragon that I know uhh… particularly well. His name is Ancalagon. A black dragon with a glowing red underbelly when he breathes fire. Probably the largest dragon I've ever seen in my life - I mean he was known for destroying mountains a long time ago. Put it this way; out of all the other dragons I've encountered, he could probably swallow most of them whole. Not much of a talker, but I suppose I did pick up a few things from him - as well as from the other dragons; such as how to treat with them. I don't think he knew Igneel, Metallicana, or Grandina - but I suppose it's not completely out of the question. Dragon-kind as a whole used to be very connected before they started dying off, only separated by countries and the oceans - although a few made the journeys around the world," Strider said. Natsu listened in awe; he knew no one else that would believe him so readily - and he certainly knew no one that had encountered a dragon before besides the Dragon Slayers.

"Man, that's so cool! I can't believe you actually know a dragon!" Natsu said excitedly.

"He's alright when he's awake. Tends to sleep mostly nowadays," Strider chuckled. As they continued, Strider saw Natsu's face fall up and down rapidly.

"Do you think Igneel is still alive?" Natsu asked hesitantly. Strider smiled and put a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Don't lose hope. Dragons are extremely hardy creatures. Like I said, I don't think it's a coincidence they all disappeared on the same day. Keep searching," Strider said kindly. Natsu grinned and nodded before continuing to lead the way, happily talking with Happy.

-o-

"Alright, here is fine. You ready to feel the pain, Strider?!" Natsu exclaimed, taking his place around ten feet away. They were in the middle of a small glade. The wind whistled through the trees around them while the rain continued to pour heavily.

"If you can bring it, certainly. Although, I'm no stranger to fighting. So best prepare yourself," Strider said, drawing himself to full height as he stared at his opponent.

"You can do it, Natsu! Bring home the fish!" Happy cheered Natsu on. The Fire Dragon Slayer began to exert steam as his body temperature began to rise. Strider was surprised to see that the droplets that fell on him almost immediately vaporized.

 _'That's impressive. How hot is he running, I wonder?'_ Strider thought.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu roared. A burst of red hot fire ejected from his mouth and towards Strider, who was taken aback.

 _'This is new. I suppose I made the right choice by coming here. Unfortunately for Natsu, though…,'_ Strider thought as he held his hand out. Immediately, the fire stopped several feet away from impact.

Natsu was stunned, to say the least. Walls, water, pans, and brute force sometimes stopped his attacks. However, he had never encountered a person that could stop them by just holding a hand up. The Dragon Slayer didn't have much time to think on that; the flames suddenly shot right back at him. Knowing that he didn't have much time to move, Natsu brought his arms up and crossed them over his chest in an effort to defend against the attack. It scorched his clothing but left him otherwise unharmed. Besides putting his hand up, Strider hadn't moved an inch.

"THATS SO AWESOME! I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYONE STOP MY FIRE IN MIDAIR LIKE THAT!" Natsu shouted happily at Strider, giving him a thumbs up.

"Suffice it to say that my telekineses magic has quite a bit of range. Part of that is being able to effect other people's attacks in such a way. It provides wonderfully on both offense and defense," Strider replied.

"Well, we'll have to try something else then! Try this on for size!" Natsu yelled as he suddenly broke forward at Strider, running at an astonishing speed. As his dragon senses enhanced several aspects of his being - sight, smell, hearing, strength, and more - Natsu was confident in his ability to attack and defend against anyone. Strider should be no different, he thought.

 _'He's a quick one, that's for sure. I don't think I've seen many people run that fast. But…,'_ Strider thought as Natsu closed on him. Rearing his head back, Strider waited for the perfect moment before lurching forward. His head connected with Natsu's in a vicious headbutt that reverberated through both of their skulls, echoing throughout the forest. Natsu was left stunned by the forceful attack; if he didn't know better, he'd assume that Strider cracked his skull. The attack didn't stop there, however; while Natsu's head shot back from the force of the headbutt, Strider hunched himself forward and launched into the air - his right knee connected first with Natsu's chest, followed quickly by his left. As the Dragon Slayer fell on his back, Strider landed with both feet on his side. He could've pressed his advantage - stomping the boys head in or cracking his sternum - but the point wasn't to previously injure the kid. Natsu's nose was obviously broken, evidenced by the blood that poured out. Off to the side, Happy just looked on in surprise.

As he looked up at the fire that towered over him, Natsu was stunned. He didn't expect that the fight would end so quickly - it had just started! His mind raced, trying to process what happened - he got one attack off, which Strider blocked; he tried to go for a physical, which Strider countered and followed up on.

 _'How strong is this guy!?'_ Natsu thought. He saw Strider lean down slightly, his hand outstretched. Grabbing it, Strider pulled Natsu up, a look of worry evident on his face - thinking he might've gone overboard. His worry was soon allayed as Natsu grinned wide at him.

"Wow! You're pretty tough, you know!? You might even give Erza a run for her money. I just thought you should know, though - I was going easy on you! It's gonna be different next time!" Natsu promised him.

"Ha. I look forward to it, Natsu," Strider chuckled. He admired the gusto that Natsu had. It was glaringly obvious that nothing could keep the boy down.

 _'Could've used more people like him up there. But no… he's too young for that. Far too young,'_ Strider thought. He sighed to himself as he saw Natsu's sidewinded nose.

"Looks like your nose is broken. Here, let me try something," Strider said as he held his hand up. Contorting his finger slightly, Natsu's nose suddenly realigned - with a yelp of pain from the patient.

"OUCH! THAT HURT! Wait… no way! It's fixed! I can't believe that worked!" Natsu said excitedly, gingerly touching his nose. It was back in the right place, to his surprise - although still bleeding quite a bit. He stuffed a handkerchief in his nostrils to stop the bleeding and grinned his thanks at Strider.

"Ha. I can't believe it either. I think we should head back to the guild for now, though. You might want a second opinion on that," Strider said as he let Natsu lead the way back.

"Sounds good! But wait! I just had a great idea! Strider, I want you to join Team Natsu! Come on, we could use someone with your skill!" Natsu said excitedly.

"What's Team Natsu?" Strider inquired. Happy soon floated atop his hand and rested himself on it, yawning.

"It's one of the teams at the guild. A lot of the members take solo jobs, but some of them form teams to tackle the harder ones. Like the old saying goes, two fishes are better than one," Happy said sagely.

"Pretty sure it's two dragons are better than one, Happy. Get with the program," Natsu said smugly.

"It's actually two heads are better than one. But back to the teams for a second. I guess I'm interested. Who else is on the team, though? And what other teams are there?" Strider wondered.

"One of the more famous teams is the Thunder Legion. They used to be led by Laxus, but he left Fairy Tail to find himself or something. There's Freed, a green haired guy - you'll probably see him around; Bixlow, a guy in knight armor who has flying tikis around him; and Evergreen. She can turn people to stone," Happy said, shivering.

"Wait - what?! Stone? How?" Strider asked in shock.

"You look into her eyesssss," Natsu said in a creepy voice, wiggling his fingers.

"I see. That's pretty impressive. Although, I think I may try to chance it. Alright, so what other teams are there?" Strider wondered.

"There's Team Shadow Gear. That's Levy - she's the one that asked you where you're from. There's also Jet and Droy. They're the smartest group in the guild, but I'm pretty sure that's only because of Levy," Happy said.

"Jet and Droy must be the two guys always lingering over her shoulder. They ought to make a move on her, though. Beautiful and intelligent; what more could you want?" Strider added.

"Aye. They looooooooove her. But she loooooooooooves Gajeel," Happy added with a giggle.

"Haha, yeah, right, Happy. No. Way," Natsu said.

"And so who's on Team Natsu?" Strider asked.

"Well, that'd be me! Natsu Dragneel, Dragon Slayer extraordinaire. As you can tell, I'm the brains and the brawn of the team! There's also Lucy. She's the blonde chick you met. She's a Celestial Mage, which means that she can summon a bunch of spirits with her keys. There's Gray, the Ice Princess - don't worry about him. There's also Erza. She's scary. Really scary. Like, don't mess with her scary. Oh yeah, and Wendy and Carla. SO?! YOU WANNA JOIN?!" Natsu asked excitedly.

"You'll get lots of fish!" Happy said, adding the irresistible cherry on top.

"Sure. Sounds like it could be fun. Tired of solo work anyways," Strider said with a smile.

"ALRIGHT! TEAM NATSU JUST ADDED ANOTHER MEMBER! LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE WE COME!" Natsu cackled, spraying fire everywhere.

-o-

As they arrived back at the guild, it was much more full than when they left. Cana was the first to notice them, although she just trailed Striders figure with her eyes, smirking as she saw how well his sopping wet clothes clung to him. Before anything else, however, Natsu led Strider over to the table where his team was. Lucy blushed as she saw the handsome new arrival, while Erza eyed him with interest.

"GUYS! Let me introduce to you the newest member of Team Natsu. The one, the only, the new guy - STRIDER!" Natsu said happily, draping an arm around his shoulders and spraying fire in the air in excitement.

"Good morning, everyone. It's nice to see you again," Strider said, waving at them.

"Natsu! What… happened to your nose?!" Lucy cried in shock, noticing the copious amount of blood that had leaked onto his shirt and was now staining the wooden floor red.

"Huh? Oh. That. Well, Strider and I were sparring and he kind of, sort of, broke my face," Natsu said sheepishly. Gray started to laugh uproariously while Lucy and Wendy sweatdropped. Both were surprised at the damage; usually, whenever Gray and Natsu fought, they barely bruised or scuffed the other. Strider appeared to have done some decent damage. The new Fairy just scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hmm… That's quite impressive, Strider. You appear to be a capable fighter," Erza commented. Strider had only just noticed the beautiful scarlet-haired beauty. He reprimanded himself for missing her the night before. Her beautiful scarlet hair fell just past her shoulders, draped over her signature Heart Kreuz armor. Erza regarded his formidable figure with interest before finally giving him a small smile.

"We would love to have you on our team, however. Unless anyone objects?" Erza said, opening it up for discussion. No one disagreed. "In that case, go let Mirajane know. She has to make it official."

"Hm? Oh. Right. I'll go do that, then," Strider said, finally breaking his gaze away from her. Lucy and Erza watched him go before turning inwards to the table and discussing the recent event.

-o-

"Hello, Mira," Strider said, flashing a charming smile at the bartender. She gave him a sweet smile of her own and paused what she was doing to lean over the bar.

"Hey there. How was your fight with Natsu?" she asked.

"The kid has definitely got skill. A lot of energy and charisma - important characteristics, especially if he's leading the team… which, I suppose he is, considering the namesake," Strider said thoughtfully. Mira just giggled; she figured he'd soon find out that it was Erza who wore the pants in the team.

"He could use some refinement in his technique, I suppose. Not a wise idea to just run in and attack all the time. But he's on the right path," Strider said, glancing back at the cackling Dragon Slayer.

"I thought you were fighting? Sounds like you were grading him on his performance," Mira said. Strider just smiled in response.

"Erza said that I should let you know that I'm going to be joining Team Natsu. Something about making it official," Strider said.

"Oh wow. So quick? Natsu really must've made an impression on you," Mira said in surprise. She expected that Strider would take on a few jobs solo before joining a team - especially when she considered how long he seemed to have spent alone.

"Well, what can I say? He's quite an exciting character. Plus, it's been a long and lonely journey. I could use the company," he said, managing to conjure up a small smile.

"Well, I'm happy to see that you're settling in so quickly. Let me know if I can be of any help in making you more comfortable. I'll go and make the team official right now," she said, beginning to turn and walk back before he spoke again.

"Perhaps there is something you can do. Would you mind showing me around the town sometimes? Would love to get to know the area," Strider asked with a smile. Mira smirked in response.

"I would be more than happy to do that. We can walk around tonight if you're free?" Mira suggested.

"That works for me. How about we meet up around 8pm at that large fountain just east of here?" Strider asked.

"Sounds like a plan," Mira said. As she watched him walk back to the table, Cana quickly replaced him. She grinned at the model, who just sighed - she knew what Cana had on her mind.

"Working quickly, I see. That's so not fair," Cana said.

"Oh? I dunno what you're talking about," Mira said innocently.

"That won't work on me, Mira. I heard what he said. He just asked you out!" Cana said.

"I don't think it's like that. I'm just showing him around the town," Mira said, although a slight blush crept on her cheeks. She hoped that Cana would be too buzzed to realize.

"Mhm. First, it's a date, then a kiss, then he's got you bent over the bar-," Cana said before Mira made a hasty exit. The beautiful brunette just giggled as she watched her friend go. Despite having so many suitors - so many men desperate for her attention - Mira was undoubtedly more innocent than her photo shoots let on. Cana looked back at Strider and sighed.

 _'Hmm… Well, it's not like they can see the whole town in one night,'_ she thought.

-o-

Back at the table with Team Natsu, they were peppering him with questions regarding their newest teammates. As he slowly walked back, Strider could make out most of the conversation. _What's he like? How strong is he? How'd he break your nose? Did he use that sword? How'd he break your nose? He knows a dragon? That's so cool! Does he like strawberry cake? How'd he break your nose?_

"Damn it, Gray, why do you keep asking how he broke my nose?!" Natsu deadpanned.

"Because it's hilarious, Flame Brain. I'm never letting you live this one down," Gray chuckled. Natsu just grumbled before beginning to answer their questions.

"Alright, let's see. He's really powerful. I MEAN SUPER POWERFUL! He stopped my Roar mid-attack and then broke my nose with a headbutt. He didn't even need to use his sword! I dunno about tele-whatever, but he's pretty good at it. And yup, he knows a dragon! That's so awesome! But I dunno if that dragon knows Igneel. I don't know if likes strawberry cake, Erza. You'll have to ask him that yourself," Natsu finished.

"Strawberry cake? I love it," Strider said as he walked finally made it to his team.

"Wonderful! We'll have some later. Is Mira making it official?" Erza asked.

"Yup. So how does this job thing work?" Strider asked.

"it's fairly simple. You go over to that board and choose a job to do. You take it to Mira or Master and they approve it. After that, it's yours to accomplish unless you choose to relinquish it - as often happens when some wizards pick jobs too difficult to do, such as S-Class jobs. For those, you need an S-Class Wizard escort," Erza said, spelling it out for him.

"Who are the S-Class Wizards here?" Strider asked.

"That would be me; Laxus, although he likely won't be back for a while, if ever; Gildarts Clive, who also won't be back for a while; or Mirajane," Erza said.

"Mira? She's an S-Class Wizard?" Strider asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Mira's really strong! You don't want to get on her bad side. She can be kind of scary," Wendy piped in, shivering slightly. Although she was usually kind to the bluenette, Wendy had seen how Mira could be when angry. It was enough to scare her straight.

"They call her the She-Devil. Yeah, you don't wanna cross her, man. She can be terrifying," Gray said, shivering as well.

"I see. Interesting. So Erza, is it alright with you if we go on an S-Class Quest? Perhaps I'm in over my head, so I'll leave it you," Strider said. Erza's eyes widened as she repeatedly opened and closed her mouth, struggling to find the right words. Strider looked on in amusement.

"You… you… _you're asking my permission?!_ " Erza asked, aghast.

"That's… what you said, no? I need an escort?" Strider asked, raising an eyebrow.

"… Yeah. It's just… no one ever asks permission," Erza replied weakly. The rest of the team sweat dropped before looking at each other.

"Yeah, I guess we were never big on the whole _'rules'_ part of the whole thing. Now that I think about it, we never really ask permission to do anything. You guys think that's why we always get into such trouble?" Lucy wondered. There was silence before Natsu finally answered.

"Na. Couldn't be."

 _'Looks like I chose quite the interesting group to join,'_ Strider chuckled before restating his question to Erza.

"So, how about it, Erza? Can we go on an S-class quest?" he asked.

"Hmm? Oh. Sorry, yes. Yes, of course. Go ahead and choose one and we'll set out immediately," Erza said, snapping back to reality.

"Ah, any chance we could postpone to the early morning? I'm going around the town tonight, trying to get acclimated," Strider said.

"Certainly. We'll set out at 4am sharp," Erza said with a smile.

"Wonderful," Strider replied. Erza was slightly shocked - she thought she was the only person in the entire town, maybe even the Kingdom, that got up that early.

"4am?! But Errrrza… I need my beauty sleep!" Lucy whined.

"You're plenty beautiful as it is, Lucy," Strider said with a charming smile. The compliment flew over Gray and Natsu's heads - both of them mostly oblivious when it came to women. Erza, Lucy, and Wendy, however, blushed deeply as they look at Strider.

"W-w-what?!" Lucy asked nervously.

"I said you're plenty beautiful as it is, Lucy," Strider said, reiterating his point.

"Oh! Well… uh… CRAP I FORGOT SOMETHING SEE YOU LATER!" Lucy yelled as she ran into the downpour outside.

"Huh. I wonder how long it'll take for her to notice how stormy it is?" Strider asked cheerfully before walking to the job board.

-o-

Looking at the board, he saw that there were quite a few jobs open for him. Most of them seemed low-risk, low reward; easy enough to pull off, but not challenging enough for his taste. Finally, he found one that seemed perfectly suited to them.

 **WIZARDS REQUIRED TO DRIVE OUT LARGE, BIRDLIKE MONSTER**

 _A large winged and feathery monster has been terrorizing our town for the past month. It's eaten livestock, destroyed crop, and most recently started to attack the townsfolk. It makes it's roost in an old fortress, from where it emerges every few days to rampage. We don't care how the job is finished, just please get rid of it!_

 ** _Location: Valmar, on the Northern Seaboard of Fiore_**

 ** _Reward: 18 million jewel_**

 ** _Rank: S-Class_**

"Not a bad sum. Looks like this is the one. A large, birdlike monster? Sounds interesting - a phoenix? A griffin? Or literally just a Big Bird? Hmm… Valmar… Why does that sound so familiar? I don't think I've spent any time there, but… hmm…," Strider hummed to himself as he walked back to the table. He showed them the request, which was unanimously approved (minus the flustered Lucy). Natsu and Gray were especially interested in what the identity of the monster could be.

"This works. Go ahead and have Mirajane approve it," Erza said.

-o-

"Hey, welcome back. Choose a quest?" Mira asked.

"Yup. Here you go," Strider said, handing over the flyer.

"An S-Class Quest already? Are you sure about this?" Mira asked, her voice laden with worry. She didn't know what level Striders particular abilities were at, but she wasn't sure if he'd be up to the task. She had gone on S-Class Requests that were brutal and vicious; even being an S-Class Wizard was no guarantee of completing it.

"Positive. It sounds pretty fun. The world's a big place, after all. I want to see as much of it and its wonders as I possibly can," Strider said, a happy grin playing on his lips. Mira smiled at his courage and enthusiasm before looking at the flyer. Biting her lip, she nodded.

"Alright. I'll approve the quest. Mind asking Erza to come over, though? I need her approval as well," Mira said. Strider nodded and jogged on over to give the redhead the news.

-o-

"Erza, do you think he's ready for this?" Mira asked as her best friend approached her, still worried about approving the quest.

"I do indeed. Strider seems quite capable of handling himself. He took Natsu down in three hits, and I'm fairly certain at this point that's only because he didn't wish to hurt his ego," Erza said. Mira looked on in surprise, her eyes snapping onto Natsu - finally noting the blood down his front. The Fire Dragon Slayer was a powerful figure as she had seen countless times. He had defeated Erigor the Reaper single-handedly; he rescued Erza and stopped Jellal from activating the Tower of Heaven; he stopped the Jupiter Cannon from destroying the guild hall; he managed to stop Laxus from destroying Fairy Tail, and he even helped bring her little sister back. Hearing that someone was able to so effectively and easily take him down came as a wildcard. She thought about how strong Strider might be. Finally, she sighed; either Natsu wasn't going full force, or it was a fluke, she thought.

"Anyways, like I said, he seems to be capable of handling himself in a fight. This way, I'll be able to keep an eye on him, as well as evaluate his power. I'm interested in seeing what he can do first hand. We'll be starting the Request at 4am sharp," Erza said. Still worried about him but seeing that she wouldn't win this fight, Mira relented and approved the job.

-o-

"So, new guy," Cana said, ushering Strider over to a table she took in the corner.

"Hi there. Cana, right?" Strider asked, taking a seat.

"Yup. And you're Strider?" she asked.

"That I am. Pleasure to meet you," he said. Cana poured him a drink and they clinked their glasses before taking a hearty gulp.

"Interesting name," she said with a smile. Strider just winked at her before taking another sip.

"Not as interesting as your choice of dress. Not that I mind, but it's pretty cold out there," Strider said.

"Ugh. I was counting on the rain letting up, to be honest. Not a fan of wearing anything heavy," Cana said.

"I'd be more than happy to escort you back home, should you like," he suggested with a smirk.

"I think I'd like that. Although I wouldn't want to make you late for your date with Mira," Cana said, smirking as well.

"Ah. You heard that?" Strider wondered.

"Yup. You move fast," she said.

"I'm not sure it's like that," Strider said.

"Oh? Why not? She's hot," Cana replied.

"Oh, Mira is certainly beautiful. But I don't think she views this as such. No, I think it's more like her having the patience of a saint, showing the new guy around," Strider chuckled.

"That's good to hear. After all, a tall, dark, and handsome guy appears out of nowhere. We wouldn't want him to get scooped up day one," Cana giggled.

"No worries. There's plenty of me to go around," Strider winked. Finishing her drink, Cana suddenly stood up.

"Mind walking me back now?" she wondered.

"Lead the way, Miss Alberona," Strider said with a dramatic bow. Cana giggled before leading him out. As Mira watched them leave, she frowned.

 _'What're they up to?'_ she thought.

-o-

As they exited, Cana felt Strider drape something over her. Looking at her shoulders, she saw that she was now wearing his hood and cloak. The weightlessness, durability, and dryness of the material startled her. When Strider arrived, it looked as though it was sopping wet - but wearing it, she couldn't even feel a drop of water on her skin.

"Woah. This thing is… comfortable," she said.

"Glad you think so," Strider said, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"Umm… what're you doing?" she asked uncertainly, blushing.

"Just trying to keep you warm. Am I making you uncomfortable?" he inquired.

"No, it's fine. Thanks," she said, leaning in.

"Not at all. So where to?" he asked.

"Fairy Hills. The girl's dorm," she said.

"Ah, perfect," he said with a smile.

"Don't get any funny ideas," Cana said with a smirk.

"Don't worry. I'm a perfect gentleman, as you've noticed. As well as a gentle lover, if that helps my case in any way," he chuckled, eliciting a laugh from Cana as well.

"And here I thought you'd be the strong and silent type. We need one of those in the guild," Cana said.

"You'll find that I'm plenty mysterious enough. I'll keep you on your toes," Strider joked.

"Curious - what is this thing made of? It's wet on the outside, but I can't even feel a drop underneath. I don't think we have anything like it here," Cana said, fingering the material.

"Mmm, a special brand of textile from back home. It's got quite a few properties, one of which is a significant amount of water resistance. Doesn't take long to dry and the wearer will almost never get wet - assuming they're well covered with it. You want me to put the hood on?" Strider asked.

"Please," Cana nodded. Going behind her, Strider gently motioned her hair down the back of the cloak and underneath before putting the hood on. Cana let out a comfortable exhale before leaning into his arm again.

"Glad you find it comfortable," Strider said.

"Oh, you've no idea. This thing is amazing," Cana said.

"A question," Strider said.

"What's up?" Cana wondered.

"You said you were a Card Mage last night. What is that, exactly?" he wondered.

"I'll give you a short demonstration once we get to my place. Card Magic is a kind of Holder Magic," Cana said.

"Ah. Yes. Of course. Holder Magic. Continue," Strider nodded sagely.

"You've no idea what that is, do you?" she giggled.

"Not even a little bit," Strider grumbled.

"How long were you in Fiore before you joined? I would've thought you knew at least that much," she said.

"I was on the continent for a few months before, but I didn't spend too much time in one place. I learned quickly that there was Magic here, but beyond spending time on the language and learning the lay of the land and its people, I spent most of my time exploring. At the very least, most of my interactions - with Mages or otherwise - has been very brief," Strider explained.

"I see. In that case, let's wait until we get comfortable. Then I can give you a run down," she said.

"Works for me. Guess we should just enjoy the weather for now," Strider said, sighing deeply as he turned his head up and let the rain cascade in full on him.

"A fan of the rain?" she wondered.

"Yup. Torrential rain and a beautiful woman. I'm pretty sure this is paradise," he said.

"Easy there, Prince Charming," she giggled.

"As you wish, my lady," Strider said.

-o-

"Mind if I dry off real quick in there?" Strider asked as he entered through the second-floor window.

"Sure. Go for it," Cana said before she got settled on her bed. She smiled at the door he went through, biting her lip as she imagined him getting undressed on the other side. A few minutes later, he re-entered and went over to the bed as well. Attempting to get on, Cana held a hand to his chest and smirked.

"Nope. No way," she said.

"I wanna get comfortable too!" Strider complained, moving forward a bit more.

"Then sit on the chair," she said, motion behind him.

"But a bed is so much more inviting. Trust me, I make a great pillow," Strider said, edging forward a little further. Cana was almost laying on the bed by now.

"I bet you do. But I'm afraid I'm not that kind of girl," Cana said.

"Oh? And what kind of girl would that be?" Strider asked, leaning a bit closer. Her back finally on the bed. He hovered over her, his hair masking his face, which was just a foot from hers. His hands rested on either side of her head. Cana smiled at being in the position before blushing gently.

 _'Why am I blushing? I should be the one making moves on him!'_ she thought. Running a hand down his chest, she let out a gentle breath; he was certainly muscular and well defined. To her intrigue, it felt as thought there were several ridges under his shirt.

"You know the answer," she whispered. Holding his position for a moment, Strider sighed and nodded. Grumbling, he took his seat as she sat on the bed, looking at him. "Ha. Been long without a lay?"

"Oh, you've no idea. But that's for later. Alright. So Magic in Fiore," he said seriously.

"Hmm? Oh, right. Ok. So there are two main classifications of Magic - Caster and Holder. Caster is magic that's expelled from the body without a conduit. Natsu and Gray, for example, use Caster Magic. Yours would classify as Caster as well. Holder Magic uses an external source - so my Card Magic or Lucy's Celestial Spirit Magic," Cana explained.

"Got it. So I guess the benefit for Caster Magic is that you can use it wherever, whenever?" Strider asked.

"Pretty much. It's either learned or innate, whereas Holder Magic is almost always learned. Took me years to get my Card Magic just right. I'm still learning new things every week," Cana said.

"It seems like there's quite a bit to it. What's your magic about, then?" Strider asked in interest.

"The cards that I use can produce different effects. I've cards to thunder and lightning, earth, wind, and fire; air and guns; and a bunch of other things," Cana said.

"Guns?" Strider wondered.

"Yeah. You know… point and shoot things?" Cana said. Strider shrugged and shook his head, taking Cana by surprise.

"You don't have guns where you're from?" she asked, aghast.

"I don't think so. Point and shoot, though… bows and arrows, you mean?" Strider asked.

"Not quite, although similar I guess. Guns uhh… actually, if you want to learn about them, you might want to ask Bisca. I think she's out on a job right now, but I'm sure she'd be happy to give you a lesson on them. Basically, guns are weapons that shoot small rounds of ammunition at a high speed," Cana said.

"Alright. That's good for now, I guess. Back to card magic, though," Strider said, bringing the conversation back home, although his mind was still running at the new revelation about weapons.

"Right. So like I said, my cards can produce a bunch of difference effects. I throw the card at my target, after which it does its thing. So if I wanted to say, put you to sleep, I'd throw this card at you and you'd be out like a light," Cana said with a smirk as she pulled out a card that emanated a soft, green glow. Strider looked at it in wonder, a childlike wonder spreading across his face. Cana giggled at the reaction; it seemed to be so out of character for what he looked like.

"Speaking of sleep, I'm pretty tired. How about using it on us?" Strider suggested.

"Sorry. No can do. But wait here a sec," Cana said, biting her lip before she walked into her closet. Strider looked on curiously as he saw a soft, dark glow emanate. Walking back, she handed him a card with her likeness on it. Her beautiful brown eyes and sweet smile looked up at him through the card.

"What's this for?" he wondered.

"It's a call card. If you ever need me or want to talk, just use it. I have its lifeline, so mine will ring when you do," Cana said, showing him the companion card.

"I'll be sure to treasure it," Strider said with a smile, getting up and hugging her tight. Cana giggled at the reaction and returned the hug, holding him just as close. Putting her arms around his neck, she felt that his hair was still a bit damp, although he was otherwise warm.

 _'This feels nice,'_ she thought with an inward giggle.

"I suppose I should get back to my team. Let's do this again sometimes," Strider said, telekinetically opening the window.

"I'd like th-," Cana said before a loud knock on the door cut her off.

"CANA! DON'T THINK YOU CAN FOOL ME! I KNOW I HEAR A MANS VOICE IN THERE!" the landlord suddenly yelled.

"Oh, crap. Out, out, out!" Cana said, pushing Strider towards the window.

"Easy, there!" Strider chuckled before leaping down to the ground and quickly making an escape, his cloak billowing in the window. Leaning on the windowsill, she smiled as she watched him go.

 _'Yeah. Let's definitely do this again soon,'_ she thought before sighing. Now it was time to pay the piper.

-o-

As Strider arrived back at the guild, he saw that Lucy had finally rejoined the team - sopping wet thanks to the continued downpour. As she saw him, Strider could swear that he literally saw steaming coming off of her, her cheeks a deep red.

"Hello, Lucy. Enjoy your shower?" he asked pleasantly.

"Y-y-yeah. Sorry about that. I had to take care of something really quick," she said softly.

"I understand. Forgive me if I made you feel uncomfortable, though," he said pleasantly.

"What?! No! It's fine!" Lucy said, shaking her hands apologetically.

 _'It was really nice, actually. I can't remember the last time that's happened. The guys here are way too dense,'_ she groaned inwardly.

"Strider!" Erza shouted.

"What's up, Erza?" he inquired.

"Cake!" she said, holding out a piece of strawberry cake for him. Taking a seat at his side, she set her intense gaze on him. Strider raised an eyebrow before looking at the others, all of whom sighed fondly at her antics. Taking the fork, he cut into the cake and brought it to his mouth. The creamy pastry was laden with soft and fresh cut strawberries, melding into one of the sweetest things he had tasted - certainly _the_ sweetest since he arrived here.

"That… is some good cake. Wow. Who made it?" Strider asked.

"I thought so! And Mirajane. She makes some of the best cakes," Erza said, drooling slightly. Strider chuckled before holding his cake out for the others to share. Erza was the only taker; soon, they were both digging in.

"Strawberry cake is the most wonderful thing existence," she said happily. Strider was amused; he first pegged her to be extremely strict, but it seemed as though Erza was prone to the same airy moments the rest of the team was.

"It's been a while since I've had something this sweet," Strider said, sucking on the fork a bit, making sure to take in every last bit of the sweet taste. "By the way, do you guys know a Bisca?"

"Bisca? Sure. I think she's still on a job, though. Why do you ask?" Lucy wondered.

"Cana said she could teach me about something called a gun," Strider said nonchalantly.

"You don't know what a gun is?" Wendy asked in surprise.

"Nope. First I heard about them was today," Strider said.

"You guys don't have guns where you're from, then?" Lucy wondered.

"I suppose not. Cana said something about pointing and shooting, though. We have bows and arrows," Strider shrugged.

"Interesting. I suppose there's likely quite a few differences between our homelands, considering no trade or contact exists. I suppose it's not too surprising," Erza said with a frown.

"Anyways, look for a chick with long, green hair. Only one like that in our guild," Natsu said.

"Got it. Anyways, time for me to head out for a little bit. I'll see you all in the morning. Thank you for the cake, Erza," Strider said, nodding at her before taking his leave.

-o-

By fifteen minutes to 8pm, Strider had made his way over to the fountain to meet Mira. The rain had let up mostly, although he could tell it would likely begin again soon. While he enjoyed it, he figured that Mira wouldn't. He gently contorted his right forefinger and middle finger, casting a small telekinetic charm that would act as an umbrella, allowing the rain to simply fall to the side and leaving them dry. He took multiple deep breaths, letting the fresh air cycle through his body. The petrichor scent lingered heavily in the air, giving it that fresh-rain-on-earth smell. The cool and crisp wind gently fluttered through his hair as he watched the people go about their business, mostly ignoring his presence.

About fifteen minutes later, Strider spotted a silverfish aura making its way through the dark and towards him. As it got closer, his breath caught ever so slightly. It was Mirajane, walking his way in a beautiful red dress that she filled wonderfully. It was adorned with a large pink bow set in the middle of her chest while the hem skirted around her shins. Despite the conservative choice, she looked magnificent, he thought. Around her neck, he noted a beautiful necklace - a sapphire-blue jewel set in a silver locket and hung on a thin, silver chain.

"Hey. I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long," Mira said sweetly, standing squarely in front of him with her hands folded in front of her.

"Not at all. Shall we begin?" he asked with a smile.

"Lets," she said as she began to lead him across the town. As they snaked through the streets, it began to drizzle as he expected. His charm kept them protected, although Mira didn't seem to notice. She was talking on and on about the sights of the town, encouraging him to ask questions as he saw fit. Strider mostly nodded as she finished a sentence; it was pretty par for the course thus far.

"So, Strider…," Mira trailed off.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"How was your time with Cana?" she wondered. He let out a short laugh before putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Don't tell me you're getting jealous," he teased.

"What?! Why would you say that?" she asked, flustered.

"Why else would you ask?" he wondered.

"I'm just looking out for my guildmates," she answered.

"I see. Well, what _didn't_ happen is what you're obviously thinking. Here I thought you were sweet and innocent," Strider laughed.

"That is _so_ not what I imagined," she replied.

"If you say so. Nah. I just walked her to her place and she told me a little bit about her magic. Told me something about a weapon you guys have here that we don't have where I'm from," Strider said, removing his arm from around her.

"What's that?" Mira wondered.

"Guns," Strider replied.

"You don't have guns there?" she asked in surprise.

"I don't think so. Still, I have to make sure. I suppose we might have an equivalent under a different name. She recommended I talk to Bisca," Strider said.

"Speaking of which, I have a kind of umm… personal question," Mira said, shifting uncomfortably.

"What is it?" he wondered.

"Your name," she said.

"What about it?" Strider asked.

"I mean… is that really your real name? Strider?" she asked hesitantly. Strider laughed a bit at the question before shrugging.

"It's a long story, unfortunately. I'll tell you about it sometime, though. But yeah. More or less, it's my real name," he sighed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound so accusing of you," Mira said quickly.

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten the same question several times. I'm used to it," he said. Mira paused for a little while before nodding.

"Alright… Anyways, Bisca is pretty good with that stuff, I suppose. But I am really surprised to hear you might not have guns where you're from. What's it like there?" Mira asked. Strider stiffened as she asked and paused as he thought of a reply.

"That's a long conversation for another time as well, I think," he answered.

"Alright," Mira shrugged. She didn't want to make him to uncomfortable so soon.

"So have you and your siblings always lived here?" Strider asked, trying to change the subject quickly. He regretted doing so as he felt the air change. It got a bit tense; looking to Mira, he saw her smile fall, her eyes harden slightly, and her right hand grab at her necklace, rolling it in her fingers.

"Umm… That's a story for another time," she said sadly.

"Oh. I'm sorry, Mira. I didn't mean to-," Strider began to apologize before she cut him off.

"No, no. There's no need to apologize. You couldn't possibly know. It's just… it's something that a lot of people ask; something I've answered a lot. I just don't like to… umm… go over it so much," Mira said quietly, looking at her feet. She felt him put a comforting hand on her shoulder a moment later.

"I understand, Mira," he said gently. Looking at him, she saw his warm gaze and smile. He didn't look at her with fragility or pity, as did most of the people she had relayed the story too. It was a look of understanding, she thought.

"You do?" she asked softly.

"Yes. Everyone has some events in their life that shape who they are and what they become. Those events often aren't very easy to speak about, even if you have spoken about them. It's less about the act of talking about them, I think; and more about sharing it with someone that has gone through something similar. Some… a connection is important, I think. Not saying they have to relate to every aspect, but they should relate in some. But these kinds of crucibles are extremely personal - a point in time that irrevocably changed them. I certainly have them, as do you; as I imagine do others in the guild. But it's impossible to share them in their deepest and truest form unless you know someone who has experienced the same or similar event. It's not often something that can be easily conveyed. No… there needs to be a deeper connection, I think," Strider said with a sad smile as he trailed off into his own mind.

Mira stared at him as they continued their walk in silence, approaching a small bridge that ran over a swollen brook, leading to a small house in the distance. It was true, she thought. She had talked about her story with some of the others in the guild - Erza, who listened intently; Natsu, who was surprisingly earnest in listening as well; Lucy, the Master, etc. - but the only ones she could talk to about it completely were her siblings. Only they could understand what she had gone through because they experienced the same thing right alongside her.

Her mind soon trailed to something he had said.

 _'I have them.'_

She was about to ask him what he had gone through, chastising herself gently for her hypocrisy. As though sensing what was on her mind, however, Strider shook his head. She caught the meaning and blushed slightly, nodding and giving him a soft smile. It wasn't long until they were on the doorstep of the house - her and her sibling's house. Mira looked in her surprise that they ended here.

"Wow. I didn't even know we were walking this way," Mira said, slightly bewildered.

"People tend to go on autopilot when they enjoy themselves. I know I certainly did," Strider said.

"True enough. Sorry, but I don't invite guys in on the first date," Mira said as she stood on top of the doorstep. Even doing so, she barely came up to his chin. Smiling down at her, Strider suddenly leaned forward, causing her to blush.

"Oh? Are you sure that I couldn't persuade you?" he asked quietly and intensely, his face half a foot from hers. Looking into his eyes, she saw they were just as intense as her voice.

"I…I…," Mira stammered, bringing her hands up and resting them on his shoulders. She didn't feel afraid of him, but she choked nonetheless. She felt her face get hotter as she struggled to reply coherently.

"You what?" he asked.

"I… we can't… not…," she said, still flustered. Feeling as though he had had his fun, Strider laughed and backed away, winking at her.

"Ugh. You're so mean," she grumbled, surreptitiously bringing a hand to heart. Like it was in the morning when he kissed her cheek, the organ thumped wildly.

"My apologies," he smirked, bowing slightly. Suddenly, Mira noted something that had escaped her attention the whole time - the rain.

"Hey! It's been raining the whole time, but we're completely dry!" she said excitedly. She held out her hand, trying to catch some of the drops but her body seemed to simply repel them, as though an invisible umbrella covered her.

"I didn't know if you enjoyed the rain or not, so I took the liberty of keeping it off of us for tonight. A good choice, I think. I wouldn't want to ruin that stunning dress," Strider said.

"You're sweet," Mira said with a smile.

"I suppose I'd better be off. Got an early start with there eat of the team tomorrow. Thanks again for showing me around, Mira. Let's do this again soon," Strider said.

"Definitely. I haven't gone on a nice walk like that in a long time. Be safe on your journey tomorrow, Strider," she said as she pulled him in for a hug. Resting her head on his chest, she felt his slow and calm heartbeat.

 _'Wow. He's really warm,'_ she thought. Strider held her just as close, letting her warmth wash over him like an afternoon sun.

"I will," he whispered. They kept the position for a minute that felt as long as an eternity. Finally letting each other go, Strider turned and began to walk back to the guild. As Mira watched him go, she saw the beautiful design on the back of his cloak. She was about to ask him about it but opted against it. She'd have plenty of time to learn more about him, she thought.

"Good night, Strider," she whispered. Strider picked up on the quiet words and smiled. He canceled the enchantment and let the rain begin to pour over him.

 **-o-**

 **If you notice any errors - punctual, grammatical, etc., - please feel free to point them out. I'm aiming for longer chapters, and with that comes a higher chance of misusing a word, comma, or something else.**


	3. Bird of Prey

"What is this thing?" Strider asked in amazement. Makarov had given him the basic directions to the train station, but he didn't know what to expect as he got there.

"You don't know what a train is?" Wendy asked in surprise.

"We don't have them where I'm from. Hmm… I do think I've seen a similar contraption when I arrived here, though. A train, you say? It appears to be made of metal. A lot of metal at that," he mused to the young Dragon Slayer.

"Yeah! It's like… a thing that gets you to other places quickly. It makes stops along the way to drop people off and pick them up," Wendy said.

"I see. That's quite amazing, honestly. Looks like it's pretty solid as well," Strider said, knocking on the steel body.

"There's probably a lot of things you'll find here that you didn't find back home, now that I think about it," Wendy said thoughtfully.

"I certainly hope so. It's fun, discovering new things," Strider said.

"You didn't think to learn about them when you first got here?" Carla wondered.

"I had other things on my mind at the time, unfortunately. I believe I saw these things roving around, but I didn't really talk about them or ask anyone of them. I figured it best to avoid as much attention as I could until I got a bit more... ah, comfortable," Strider said.

Almost all of Team Natsu was assembled at the train station at 4am the following morning. Conspicuously absent, however, was Lucy - who had taken another half hour to get ready. Strider soon saw her approaching gingerly from the distance, likely hoping that Erza would take pity on her body and soul.

"Lucy! We had agreed that we would meet here at 4am sharp! What's the meaning of being so late?! You're not setting a good example for our newest recruit!" Erza shouted, pointed at Strider. Lucy blushed as she looked at him, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked kindly.

"Hmm?! Yes! I'm sorry, Erza. I uh… kind of lost track of time!" Lucy squeaked.

"Huh… very well. It will take us a few hours by train to get to the stop nearest Valmar, after which we'll have a short walk to the city itself. Let's go," Erza said to the team as she stepped onboard the train, the others following soon after. As they got seated, Erza sat on one side of Strider while Lucy sat on the other, blushing brightly as their arms brushed against each other. Wendy soon held her hands over Natsu, preparing to ease his journey aboard the iron snake.

"Troia!" she exclaimed, bathing him in a glimmering, greenish glow. Strider looked on in interest. So far he had only seen Natsu do anything; he voraciously took in the spell the young girl cast.

"What's she doing?" he asked Erza.

"Wendy is casting a charm on Natsu. As a Dragon Slayer, he's quite prone to motion sickness. The spell seems to be one of the few things that helps him get it under control," Erza said.

"I see. Interesting; I didn't peg Natsu for someone with motion sickness. Speaking of magic, however, I'm curious - what kind of magic do you all use?

"I use Requip. It allows me to change my weapons and armor at a random pace. Some armor is better suited to a particular situation. For example, my Heaven's Wheel allows me to summon multiple swords at once - up to two hundred if I really concentrate. My Sea Empress armor allows me to nullify water attacks, while my Flame Empress does the same for fire. I've close to 150 different styles now," Erza said proudly. Strider was impressed.

"That's quite amazing, Erza," he said. He had often come across warriors that could change their armor quickly when needed for a particular style - whether they required something light for quick offensive, something heavy for a sturdy defense, or something airy for quick movement. However, Erza sounded to be on a completely different level, especially in terms of pure quantity. The small effects her armors granted were likely to be of considerable use in combat.

"Me next! I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage! That means that I can summon Celestial Spirits with these keys," she said, showing Strider her key ring. He ran his fingers across the gold and silver keys, taking a deep interest in them.

"Beautiful," he whispered, low enough that Lucy wouldn't hear and get flustered again.

"The gold keys are one of a kind. They can summon powerful spirits known as the Zodiac. Meanwhile, the silver keys use less magic power and can be found in most magic shops around the kingdom. Oh! Let me show you!" she said excitedly as she removed one.

"Open, Gate of the Canis Minor - Nicola!" she exclaimed, swinging the key through the air. Strider looked on in astonishment as something suddenly appeared. It was tiny - maybe a foot in height - and was shivering. It resembled a mini-snowman, he thought; it was a cocaine white with beady black eyes and a carrot-like orange nose. It let out a low _'puu-puun'_ which Strider figured was the language it spoke it. Looking up at Strider, Plue adorably tilted his head.

"Awww, hello there Plue!" Lucy squealed in delight as she picked him up, nuzzling him on her cheek. Plue smiled and let out another low _'puu-puun'_ in response. Reopening the gate, Lucy sent Plue back home for the moment to rest.

"That's an interesting magic, Lucy. It appears there's more to you than meets the eye," Strider. Lucy smiled wide in response and proudly took her seat, happy with the compliment.

"And I'm a Sky Dragon Slayer, but I mostly use support magic. I can heal other people if their injured or poisoned or something like that. I can also use enchantments on myself and others to make them faster or stronger," Wendy said, looking up at Strider.

"That's pretty amazing," Strider said in surprise.

"What?" Wendy asked, tilting her head.

"Someone so young with such a large responsibility," he said kindly.

"Indeed it is! It also takes quite a bit out of the poor girl, so do be careful!" Carla told Strider. Wendy let out an adorable groan at being treated like a child. Strider just chuckled as he ruffled the bluenettes hair, making her blush even more.

"Don't worry, Carla. I'll be careful. And you use Ice Magic, right Gray?" Strider asked.

"Yup. Watch this," Gray said as he held his palms inches away from each other. Strider looked on in deep interest as he felt the temperature in their cart suddenly drop. A moment later, Gray held a perfect ice sculpture of the Fairy Tail insignia in his hand, which he passed to Strider.

"Marvelous. I suppose it's obvious why you and Natsu have such a rivalry, however," Strider laughed.

"Because he's a Flame Brain?" Gray said.

"Who you calling Flame Brain, Elsa?" Natsu asked.

"ELSA?! Why you-," Gray began before Erza suddenly smashed their heads together.

"Oh. That had to hurt," Strider cringed.

"It's the only way we can get through their thick skulls," Erza sighed.

"Ha. You guys certainly make for an interesting team. It appears I chose well," Strider said. They smiled at him before Erza began speaking again.

"Let's go over the job. It appears as though a birdlike monster has been terrorizing the town for a while now. We'll need a plan of attack to go about this, considering how large the beast appears to be. If it's whisking away cattle, I imagine it has a sizable wingspan, as well as considerably large and powerful legs and talons. It won't go down easy," Erza said, reviewing the flyer.

"You're overthinking it, Erza! Besides, I already made the plan!" Natsu said smugly.

"Oh? And what is it?" Erza asked.

"We go in, cook it, and eat it, of course!" Natsu said excitedly, drooling slightly. He was soon out cold again as Erza hit him on the head with an armored fist.

"The first order of action will be to visit the townsfolk and see if there's anything they might have left out of the flyer. It mentioned that the creature makes its roost in an old fortress, so I think we'll probably find it there. A creature this big… it likely has a considerable amount of real estate, although considering how enclosed fortresses usually are, I don't think we should actually fight it there. It would be helpful if there's an open space nearby where we can lead it. I'm also curious about why it chose this town in particular as well as if there are any more of them nearby. I'm thinking it's the only one of its kind, however - something this big needs a lot to sustain itself. Overall, depending on if we find it in its roost, this job shouldn't take too long," Strider said thoughtfully.

"Hmm… those are some astute observations, Strider. I was just about to draw the same conclusion," Erza said, impressed by his awareness and thinking.

"You're too kind," Strider said with a smile.

"Have you done this kinda thing a lot, Mr. Strider?" Wendy asked.

"Just Strider is fine, Wendy. I do have quite a bit of experience in hunting creatures large and small. Back home, we have more than our fair share of beasts - some fantastic, some not. Large, feathery, birdlike creatures aren't that outside the norm. However, we're used to coexisting with them - it's not often that they terrorize townsfolk. I imagine most just want to live their lives out. The world is as much theirs as it is ours, no?" Strider asked no one in particular.

"Hmm… I suppose you have a point. Unfortunately, it's often the case here that something similar to this bird might go rampaging through a town in Fiore - although usually small and out of the way ones. In those cases, Wizards need to intervene," Erza said.

"A valid point. Mmm… I do hope we can resolve this matter in a less bloody way, however. If you don't mind, Erza, there's something I want to try when we find it," Strider said.

"What is it?" Erza asked.

"I think it might be better if I show, to be honest. I promise I'll be careful. Otherwise, you can step in," Strider said. She thought about that before nodding her approval.

-o-

As the train pulled into the station, Team Natsu disembarked and began to make their way towards the town of Valmar. The sky was overcast and gray, giving an ominous warning that more rain was likely on the way. The beaten and gravely path they walked down was surround by lush, green, windswept rolling hills as far as the eye could see - a veritable ocean of green. The mighty gale force winds had their hair flying every which way. Seeing Lucy and Wendy shivering, Strider took his cloak off and wrapped it around the girls. Lucy blushed at the gesture, while Wendy smiled her thanks at him. The two girls fell into an easy conversation, joined by Carla; while Happy rested lazily on Natsu's head as he bickered with Gray. Erza and Strider, meanwhile, kept pace with each other - mostly silent as they enjoyed the beautiful land.

"So Strider - tell me a little more about yourself," Erza finally said.

"Is there anything in particular you'd like to know, Erza?" he asked.

"Well, I am curious - why did you make such a dangerous journey? What made you want to leave home? You were a soldier, were you not?" Erza asked.

"I'm surprised you remembered that. I didn't see much of you last night," Strider said.

"Ah! My attention was elsewhere - but that's not important right now!" Erza said. She didn't want Strider to find out what she was reading when he was talking about his past - although when he had said he was a soldier, her attention snapped to him.

"Well… to really get into it would be a long and arduous task. I'm not sure if I'm comfortable sharing all of that right now, to be honest. I hope you understand," Strider said.

"Certainly. We all have things that we'd rather not delve into quickly," Erza nodded understandingly.

"But the short of it is - after the war finally ended, I needed to find something to do. I… had enough of fighting at that point. I had been helping in the reconstruction of several devastated areas, but after a while, even that was coming to an end - plus, there were far more intelligent people than I working on the task. I wanted something more. I've always been looking for new things to do - a voracious child, you could say. I had done a considerable amount of exploration, as well as mapping new lands - so I decided that going a long journey would be ideal. At first, it was around my continent - but it ended up taking me across the Great Sea, all the way to Fiore," Strider said as he looked forward, smiling at the memory.

"I see. As a soldier… did you… well… mmm… I'm not sure how to phrase it," Erza trailed off. She had been in countless scuffles and fights before - large and small. However - never, not once, had she taken the life of another human being; nor had any of the members in Fairy Tail, or any other legitimate guild that she could think of. It was a Sacred Edict in Ishgar - that nothing was more heinous than taking the life of another human in cold blood. She saw his eyes harden; Strider opted not to reply. With an inward sigh, Erza decided not to press shim for an answer; she wasn't sure she even wanted one.

"What about you, Erza? How did you end up at Fairy Tail?" Strider asked, trying to get the subject off of him.

"Ah. A long and arduous story as well. If you truly wish to know, I can tell you once we get back," Erza said. She surprised herself with the reply. It wasn't something she often wanted to get into, but part of that was because she didn't think the other guild members could handle it. But after the events at the Tower of Heaven, she became a bit more open about her past. Looking at Strider, she felt a certain bit of kinship - as though thinking that he would understand.

"If you're comfortable in saying so, I would love to hear it. Ah… it seems as though long and arduous stories are the norm in Fairy Tail," he said with a sad smile.

"Indeed they are. Virtually every member of our guild has a weight that they carry from their past. But that's the beauty of Fairy Tail, I believe. It doesn't matter who you were or what your upbringing was like. Everyone is accepted, so long as they have a drop of magic in their blood. Look at Gajeel or Juvia, for instance. Both of them were our enemies at one point, but now both are part of the glue that holds our guild together," Erza said.

"Enemies? I didn't know that. Master Makarov seems to be very accepting. That's quite a rare trait," Strider said.

"Indeed. He's quite a wonderful man," Erza said proudly.

"Speaking of Juvia, though, you notice her following us?" Strider asked, hiking his thumb back.

"WHAT?!" Erza yelled.

"What?" he asked. Strider was slightly taken aback at the reaction; he figured that Erza had noticed as well.

"What do you mean that Juvia has been following us?! WHERE?!" Erza yelled, wildly looking from side to side as she tried to catch a glimpse of the Water Mage.

"She's hiding behind that rock formation there," Strider said, pointing to a tall outcrop. It was tall and wide enough to easily hide a group of people.

"JUVIA! Get out here - NOW!" Erza demanded. Everyone looked on in surprise as a timid Juvia finally emerged from behind.

"How were you able to find me?" Juvia asked. She thought that she had been ninja-like in her movement.

"I have super smell and super hearing," Strider joked.

"Truly?! I didn't know you were a Dragon Slayer as well!" Erza said excitedly, thinking he was serious.

"What? No… I was kidding. I saw her through the reflection of the train window when we had arrived at the train station. I figured that it was too late to say anything, so I opted not to. Besides, Juvia isn't here to accompany us. She's only here because of Gray," Strider said, smiling at the bluenette, who blushed.

"This is true. I came to see my beloved. When I was alerted that he was to be on such a dangerous task, I hastened to follow! I will make sure that he gets back safely, mark my words!" Juvia said passionately. Gray just groaned; while Juvia was certainly attractive, her clingy nature worked heavily against her.

"Absolute not, Juvia! You're not part of the mission!" Erza said hotly.

"But I cannot go back now! The next train won't be here for hours. And my darling Gray needs me!" Juvia said, looking innocently at the group.

"But I can't go back now… I'm already here. And my beloved…" Julia trailed out, looking innocently at the group.

"It can't hurt to have her help us out, right Erza?" Wendy asked. Erza looked at the young child before looking back at Juvia. Finally, she let out a displeased sigh; she couldn't send her back now.

"Very well. Gray, Juvia is your responsibility," Erza said.

"What?! Why me?!" Gray whined before shutting up at the death glare he received from Erza.

-o-

At last, the group arrived in the coastal town of Valmar. They could smell the sea breeze just before they crested a particularly tall hill; from the top of which, they gasped at the beauty of the ocean that spread infinitely towards the horizon. Looking into the town, they saw countless rustic buildings. Townspeople could be see going about their business, a few preparing for the eventual rain that would come. In the middle of the town, they saw a large building that was home to the city council - the ones that had offered the job in the first place. Looking at each other, they began to make their way down and into the town.

"Quite beautiful," Strider said as he looked around at the buildings. He smiled kindly at the townspeople who eyed him and his team with looks of interest; their dress was wildly different from the modesty of the town.

"Very. Wow, these buildings look ancient," Lucy said. Heavy moss covered some of the buildings, turning them a lush and vivid green; while ivy vines snaked across others. The roofs were made of reddish tiles, while the exteriors were a mixed batch - from a light hue of red to a dark black to a grayish-concrete to a weathered beige.

"I think you're right, Lucy. Very old. Hundreds of years at the very least," Strider said, pausing to run his hands down one.

 _'These are… strikingly similar,'_ he thought before continuing forward towards the city council building. As they entered, they were greeted but the mayor of the town. He bustled down the stairs, well to do in a modest black robe that seemed to be common amongst the townsfolk.

"Greetings, wizards! I thank you for answering our cry of help. My name is Karankawa, the mayor of this lovely little town. It was I who initially put up the request to get rid of the beast. Please, come this way and I shall explain this situation further!" Karankawa said, leading them to a large table with a large pot of tea set in the center.

"Tea?" he offered.

"Certainly. Thank you," Erza nodded. He slowly poured a hearty draught from them all. Slowly, they took a sip. It was starkly contrasted to the chilly weather outside; the tea warmed them up from the inside, radiating outwards. Finally, Karankawa launched into his story about the beast.

"It started not too long ago, wizards. The creature… it came out of nowhere. Far larger than _any_ bird I have ever seen before. I'd wager that it's at least the size of a small dragon if I had to compare it to something. At its fullest height, I would say its around 10-feet tall with a 25-foot wingspan. It has a sharp, golden beak and a rainbow crest upon its head. The plumage is otherwise gold, so you won't easily miss it. Now, it's a beautiful beast to be sure - but a beast nonetheless. It has been terrorizing our town for a while now - carrying off our livestock, tearing apart our crop, and recently it began to attack the citizens. Put one of the farms here out of commission for at least a week! I hope and pray that you might be able to rid us of it at last. We've had little luck otherwise," Karankawa sighed, taking a long sip.

"That's what we're here for, Karankawa. Just a couple of things, if you don't mind," Strider said.

"Please, ask away! I shall tell you all that I can!" Karankawa replied.

"Thank you. Could you tell us about the fortress where the beast makes its nest?" Strider asked.

"Yes. It's an old fortress, slightly to the west of here - located on the coast as well. It goes by the name of Valmar Keep - although from what we can tell, it hasn't been inhabited for a long, long time - centuries or longer. That's where the beast lives. We tried to shoot it out with bows and arrows, but nothing seems to penetrate its skin - it's almost like armor!" Karankawa said.

"I see. And are there any others like it or is it the only one?" Strider asked.

"It's the only one. None of the men that went to look for it have seen any others, nor have they noted any eggs or children or the like. It appears to be one of a kind. It'd be a shame to kill, but…," Karankawa trailed off.

"I see. Thank you. We'll head out in a bit, in that case," Strider said. He and the others finished the rest of the tea in silence, mulling over what they just learned.

-o-

As they made their way towards the old fortress, Erza silently evaluated Strider. She got the sense that he was intelligent - he knew what questions to ask and what to do and say in an information gathering situation. She decided to let him take the reins on this Request, resolving to only step in when necessary.

 _'It seems as though he's as capable as I initially thought. But let's see how he handles himself in a potential combat situation,'_ Erza thought to herself.

The group finally reached and the fortress and paused to take the sight in. Although it appeared to be a shell of its former self, the fortress still stood as an - albeit weary - sentinel over the sea. Strider looked on with a smile; he could tell that it used to be quite magnificent in its day. The walls still stood as high as they did when it was first constructed, although significant dilapidation had occurred in some parts. They could make out the currents and places where the fortress took heavy damage - likely from a combination of battering rams and magical attacks. A bridge that rose over a small stream led to the main entrance of the fortress, where they found a gate that surprisingly withstood the test of time. As they walked around, looking for a more stealthy way to enter than the front door, they heard it.

A song. Not just any song - but one of the sweetest, most beautiful bird song they had ever heard. It stopped the groups in their track. They looked bewildered but listened intently - letting it fill their being. There was no doubt in their mind that it was coming from the creature - after all, there didn't appear to be much other life in these parts. Strider made a motion for the group to stop and they obliged, preparing themselves for combat. Strider found a few handholds and footholds; gingerly, he began to scale the side of the fortress, opting to conserve his magic just in case. The others stood their position, watching tentatively.

As he hopped into a walkway that circled the fortress, he crouched and approached the barrier that led into the center of the place. It wasn't long until he found the source of the melody.

The bird was as magnificent as he had imagined it. It had a deep and rich gold plumage and rainbow crest, much like he was told. He saw it stretch its wings - easily the 25-feet wingspan that Karankawa had told him. While not big enough to touch either end of the wall, the bird took up a significant amount of real estate within the fortress. As it sang another short birdsong, Stride observed the surroundings. He saw the countless corpses of cattle, stripped bare to the bone which lay spread out. He began to devise a plan to take it on; it would be too difficult to do so within the fortress. While the creature likely wouldn't be able to do much, a sweeping attack would easily connect with them all. Going along the outer barrier, he saw a large clearing off in the distance. It was far enough away that the townspeople wouldn't get involved and offered them a lot of room to work with. Observing the creature once again, he began to devise a plan before heading down to rejoin the others.

"Karankawa wasn't kidding. That thing is absolutely massive. Easily a 25-foot wingspan. Sharp beak, beautiful color - amazing voice as well, I might add. There's no hint of opened shells or baby birds, so I'm pretty sure it's alone there. We're not going to be able to fight it in the fortress, though - one wing sweep, and we'd be out. There's a large clearing a little south of here - I suggest that we lure it there," Strider said, pointing in the direction of the clearing.

"I see. Before we lure it, however, we need a plan of attack. Did you notice anything that could tip the scales in our favor?" Erza asked.

"Unfortunately, no - at least nothing glaring. The weapons they tried had no effect - there isn't a scratch on the creature. Any fight would be long and drawn out; if I had to guess, I'd wager that its skin has magical properties, much like armor. I do have a plan, though. What we need to do is bring it down to the ground. If it's in flight, it makes our job harder. Immobilizing it is our best shot," Strider said.

"Can't you fly, though?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be easy to fight it in flight - even for me. This thing lives in the air, Lucy. I've no doubt it could outmaneuver me," Strider said.

"If you want, I could try to freeze its wings or something? Might be enough to bring it down," Gray said.

"Hmm… yeah, that could work. You'd need to be precise about it, though. I imagine the bird is very agile. I'll try to slow it down with my telekinesis, but I think we'll need a bit more power - just to be on the safe side…" Strider trailed off, thinking of a solution.

"Aries!" Lucy suddenly piped up.

"Aries?" Strider asked curiously.

"Yeah! Aries is another of my spirits - one of the Zodiac! She can shoot wool bombs at the bird. They're pretty huge and they stick to anything. It should be enough to weigh it down!" Lucy said.

"Pretty good idea, Lucy. Beautiful and intelligent, I see," Strider said, smiling at the blonde who blushed and returned it, shifting slightly.

"Alright, I think this is what we should do. Lucy, you summon Aries. This is what I want you to ask her to do: shoot her wool at both of the wings, as well as its legs. She's gonna need to use a lot of wool to get the job done," Strider said. Lucy nodded vigorously.

"Gray, when it starts slowing down, focus on hitting one of the wings with your ice. Cover it as much as possible. Juvia, you take the other wing - soak it totally. Wool isn't very absorbent, but combined with the ice on the other wing, it should be enough to weigh it down considerably," Strider said. Gray and Juvia nodded in agreement.

"Natsu, I want you to light wool around the legs on fire. It burns slow, so it should last a while. I'm not sure how resistant it's legs are, but it should be quite uncomfortable. Meanwhile, I'm going to lure it there. Once we arrive, I'll use my magic to slow it down so Aries can get her shots in. If it all goes well, we'll have it on its stomach or back in no time," Strider said.

"Back on the train, you mentioned that you wanted to try something?" Erza asked.

"Yeah. I'll let you know once we get this part done," Strider said. Not completely sure what he wanted to do, Erza nonetheless decided to trust him.

"Very well. We'll get into position," she said. Strider nodded and waited for them to leave before preparing to act as bait.

-o-

Back at the guild, Mira was tending the bar as usual - although she wore a more serious expression than typical.

"Everything alright, Mira?" Cana asked as she swilled some wine around her glass. Usually by this time, she would have gotten through a few barrels of alcohol, a buzz only beginning to set it. Today, however, she spent more time looking at the glass than drinking out of it.

"Yeah. What about, though?" Mira wondered.

"Hmm? What about me?" Cana asked, breaking away from it to look at her.

"You're not drinking. Are you feeling alright?" Mira asked worriedly.

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!" Cana whined, eliciting a giggle from the white haired beauty.

"Sorry, sorry; it's just odd. But seriously, are you alright? You seem to be lost in thought," Mira said.

"I could say the same about you, Mirajane. Both of you appear to have something on your mind," Master Makarov said, walking up to the two.

"Mmm… I'm just a bit worried about the job Natsu and the team went on," Mira said.

"I see. But they have Erza with them if you recall," Makarov said.

"Yeah, but…," Mira trailed off uncomfortably.

"Ah. Of course. Perhaps there's someone in particular on the team you're worried about? The newest addition to our family, perhaps?" Makarov said wisely. Mira shifted a bit before nodding. While she usually did worry whenever someone went on an S-Class job - whether it be Laxus or Erza or Mystogan, when he was a part of the guild - she was more worried that Strider had gone on one so soon after joining.

"I think it might be a bit too much for someone so new," Mira said.

"I wouldn't worry about him, Mira dear. He seems quite capable. Otherwise, I would've stopped him," Makarov said.

"You know the job they're going on, Master?" Cana interjected, surprised.

"Certainly. If I didn't think he was ready for it, I would've had them start smaller. But I think it should work out well. He seems very capable as is, and this will be a great way for him to get into the swing of things. I think the young man needs a challenge," Makarov said.

"Alright, master. I trust your intuition," Mira said with a smile. Makarov nodded and walked off, stroking his chin as he thought about the job again. Looking at Cana, Mira saw that she was still frowning - likely not as believing.

"You might want to go on a job as well, Cana - get your mind off of it. I… think the master's right. I'm sure they'll be able to handle it," Mira said.

"Yeah," Cana said, getting up and going over to the job board. As she left, Mira frowned again.

 _'At least I hope they'll be able to handle it,'_ she thought before getting to work again.

-o-

Sure that they were in position in the field, Strider finally went to work. He began to levitate over the barricade, looking at the creature. It didn't seem to have placed anyone else yet, which surprised him; he assumed that the creature would've found them first - especially when he considered that animals had better senses than humans. Looking around, he figured that the mixture of smells - from the carcasses, the rotted crop, and the salty sea breeze masked them.

Raising his right hand, Strider shot a telekinetic burst at the back of its head. Immediately, the creature turned its sights on Strider; he saw the cold glare of its coal-black eyes boring into his own. Opening its beak, it let out a hair-raising shriek of anger before taking to the air. Whipping its mighty wings back and forth, it raised a dust cloud that Strider had to actively levitate away from. He quickly shot towards the clearing, the creature in hot pursuit.

-o-

"Alright, Aries - are you ready to do this?" Lucy asked her Celestial Spirit. Aries dressed in a white woolen shoulder-less tank top with a white woolen choker, sleeves, and skirt. Two horns came out of either side of her head as her hand rested atop her heart, worried about pleasing her master.

"Ummm… I think so, Lucy! I… just hope I can do it right," she said in her typical timid way.

Finally, they saw something fast approaching. Strider was jutting towards them at a high speed. They took a moment to admire his figure, resolute as it ripped across the sky; they weren't used to seeing flight and the closest figure they had seen - Erigor the Reaper - didn't have an ounce of grace. They gasped as they saw the figure right behind him, however; the immense size of the wings blotting out a significant portion of the eternal blue. Finally, Erza looked at Lucy and nodded.

"Alright, Aries - do your thing!" Lucy commanded.

Aries quickly launched three wool bombs in Strider's direction. He turned up 90 degrees and turned towards the creature. Holding his hand out, he began to concentrate his magic to slow it down. The others saw that the wings suddenly began to lose some of their power, the flapping beginning to slow. Immediately afterward, the wool bombs connected, completely covering the wings and feet.

"Gray, Juvia - now!" Erza commanded. The two wizards immediately followed up on the attack; Gray launched a powerful ice beam at one wing, slowly beginning to coat it in an impenetrable block of ice; while Juvia targeted the other wing, soaking. Much of the water began to stream out of the wool, but they saw that it had the desired effect - the creature began to wobble, beginning its descent towards the ground.

"Natsu, go!" Erza yelled. Rearing back, Natsu let out a powerful Fire Dragon Roar at the feet of the creature. The wool wicked alight, taking a spherical shape. The fire clung tightly to the feet, although the attack seemed to have no effect; the creature didn't so much as shriek in pain. Holding his hand out still, Strider controlled its descent to the ground, limiting the impact significantly. With a quiet _thud_ , it finally touched down.

As Strider landed around ten feet away from it, the others approached - smiling wide.

"I can't believe that worked!" Lucy said excitedly.

"Same here," Wendy said, notably left out of the entire procedure.

"That was a well-conceived plan, Strider," Erza praised him.

"Thanks, Erza, but I couldn't have done without guys. _Very_ well done, everyone. Hi, you must be Aries," Strider said, holding a hand out to the spirit, who blushed.

"Yes! Hello! Hi!" she squealed, wringing his hand nervously. Strider looked amusedly at Lucy, who let out a fond sigh.

"Relax, Aries. He won't bite," she comforted her partner.

"Interesting partner you've got," Strider chuckled.

"They're all like that," Lucy sighed, gently patting Aries' head.

"Hmm… now let's see…," Strider said, gently approaching the creature.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Erza asked.

"I think so. I really don't want to kill such a beautiful creature - especially if I don't have to. I want to try something first, if you're alright with it," Strider said, deferring to the de facto team leader. Erza considered it before nodding.

As Strider reached out to its beak, the creature made no movement - it simply looked at him with furious, black eyes. Gently stroking its beak, Strider moved his hand up to the creatures forehead. To the others surprised, the creature suddenly closed its eyes; moving ahead a little,t hey saw Strider had closed his as well. He quietly began to chant; while doing so, a soothing green glow began to emanate from his hand.

"What's he doing?" Natsu whispered to Gray.

"How am I supposed to know?!" Gray hissed.

"Silence," Erza barked quietly.

The glow soon enveloped the creatures head entirely. The chanting and magic went on for several minutes before it slowly began to fade away, becoming a paler and paler shade of green before disappearing entirely. Strider opened his eyes first and rose to his feet, slowly backing away. The creature finally opened its eyes as well, but they seemed different. The anger and fury were no longer there; if anything, it now seemed to be far more at peace.

"Juvia, Gray - could you please remove the water and ice?" Strider asked.

"Yeah," Gray said as he began to dissolve the ice away. The block got smaller and smaller until only the damp wool was left. Juvia did the same, sucking out all of the water that she could. Strider meanwhile blew the fire away with his magic, leaving only the charred wool.

"Aries, would you mind removing the wool?" he asked kindly.

"Sure!" she exclaimed, dissolving the wool into the ether. The others moved back a bit further as the bird finally began to shuffle around on the ground, slowly getting back to its feet. It spread out its wings, getting feeling back in them again, before folding them in and looking at the group. It's gaze passed over each of them before it landed on Strider. Identifying him, it bowed its head. Smiling, Strider gently stroked the beak before moving on to the plumage. The others just looked on in surprise. Moving to its side, Strider quickly hopped atop it.

"Are you sure that's safe?" Erza asked, aghast.

"Yeah, more or less. You guys want to come along? Natsu, Gray, Happy?" Strider offered.

"No way, man! That thing's a deathtrap!" Natsu said, cringing.

"I'm with Natsu. Birds and cats don't get along!" Happy said, glaring at his mortal enemy.

"Yeah, can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Natsu on this one," Gray grimaced.

"Juvia? Erza?" Strider asked.

"I cannot leave my beloved's side," Juvia said solemnly.

"Thank you for the offer, but no," Erza said, not sold on the concept.

"Lucy? Aries? Wendy? Carla?" Strider wondered.

"No thanks… I'm good," Lucy said.

"Yeah, no thank you!" Aries squealed, frightened.

"Absolutely not!" Carla said.

"Sure. I'll try," Wendy said, surprising everyone.

"What?! Really?!" Lucy asked, aghast.

"Yeah. It doesn't seem like a bad creature," Wendy said as she gingerly approached the bird. It bowed its head, allowing her to stroke it. Smiling, Strider levitated her in front of him with his magic.

"Comfortable?" he asked, ruffling her hair. Wendy blushed and nodded vigorously. Sighing defeatedly, Carla flew over as well.

"If Wendy's coming, so am I!" she said.

"Sounds good. Well, shall we?" Strider asked the bird. It backed away slightly before it began to whip its wings back and forth, raising another dust cloud. The others tried to keep their eyes open as they shielded their faces, not wanting to miss a moment

As they craned their necks to look above, they looked on in surprise and awe. The bird, which just a moment ago was their enemy, was now carrying Strider, Wendy, and Carla on its back, happily zipping through the air as it rose high before divebombing and leveling out. They all tried to think of what the magic Strider used was, but none had seen anything like it. As it began to fly circles, they heard Strider and Wendy laughing happily - both appeared to be enjoying themselves.

"That' awesome," Natsu said excitedly.

"I agree," Erza said with a smile.

Finally, the bird began to ease out and descend, setting down minutes later. It ruffled its body gently after Strider and Wendy got off. He began to stroke its plumage again, much to the bird's delight.

"Thank you for that. Now I wonder… what should I call you? Hmm… How about Orion? Do you like that name?" Strider asked it quietly. The bird gave a small nod before resting its head against Striders. As he stopped stroking it, Orion took several step backs before launching into the air again. They watched it fly off towards the direction of the sea.

"What, uh… just happened?" Gray asked.

"That was so cool, man!" Natsu said excitedly.

"What did you do, exactly?" Lucy asked, looking him up and down.

"It's a form of magic that I learned a long, long time ago. I suppose you could call it Tamer Magic or something like that. At its core, it allows you to form a bond with creatures such as that bird. Some things are harder to communicate with, of crows - but with enough practice, you can tame almost any creature out there. I practiced it quite a bit over the years; what I did with the bird was establish a permanent connection. If I need his help or something, he'll answer," Strider explained.

"Where is he going, though?" Juvia asked.

"Mmm… a journey of his own, you could say. He's going to try and find more birds of his specifies. As far as I could understand, he appeared to be the last of his kind," Strider said, sighing sadly.

"That's so sad," Lucy said.

"That said, he won't bother the town again," Strider said.

"Very impressive work, Strider," Erza said with a smile.

"Thanks, Erza. Shall we head back to the town and inform them of what just happened?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, let's go and get that reward!" Lucy said happily.

-o-

As they made their way back into town, they were greeted with cheer and applause from the townspeople. Karankawa the mayor strode towards them, arms outstretched as if he were going to hug them.

"Some of our men just reported that they saw the bird flying over the Great Seat - to the north!" he said happily.

"That sounds about right. He won't be bothering your town anymore," Strider said.

"My friends, you have done us a tremendous service! Your reward, as promised!" Karankawa said, leading them into the city council building. Seven figures carrying seven heavy sacks of jewels stood to their right. They approached and handed the group their earnings; Lucy immediately began to lovingly kiss the sack she was given.

"Thank you, mayor," Erza said.

"Not at all, my lady! Now, you must join us for a feast! This is an occasion to celebrate! Come, we won't take no for an answer!" Karankawa said as he led them towards the dining table. Moments later, plates upon plates were set before them and ladened to the brim with food. Natsu and Gray immediately dug in, while Lucy and Wendy watched embarrassedly; Juvia continually poked Gray, while Erza had her interest piqued in the deep conversation that Strider was having with the mayor.

 _'I wonder what they're talking about?'_ she asked herself. Leaning in a bit closer, she began to make out parts of it.

"I'm curious about that fortress to the west, mayor. The architecture is quite astonishing - in fact, I don't think I've seen anything like it since I landed in Fiore. It reminds me of some of the architecture from back in my homeland. You mentioned that it was centuries - or millennia - old?" Strider asked.

"Indeed, my boy! The town of Valmar as you see it today was settled only a generation ago. My people, you see, are Nomads - we don't often stay in one place for too long, preferring to keep moving. When we arrived, the buildings were already built but not a soul inhabited them. Overall, we know very little about the people that settled here before us - or the people that created the town in the first place. What I can tell you, though, is that their architecture is praiseworthy. The buildings you see are in the exact condition as we found them in - all we did was remove some of the moss and ivies on the doors, but otherwise, the same. Truth be told, it is an eerie thought," Karankawa said with a shiver.

"Did you ever consider reoccupying the Keep? It seems as though you could hold out there for many months - if not years, assuming your needs and resources are taken care of," Strider said.

"No, I don't think that ever crossed our thoughts. We've no use for the Keep, to be quite honest - we enjoy our small little town. I am doubtful that we will stay here much longer, in fact. Some of our townsfolk wanted to move as soon as the bird got settled, but we don't wish to be forced away - it has to happen naturally. I believe we shall soon leave, however," Karankawa said.

"I see. Hmm… in that case, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you something. In this sack, I have almost 2.6 million jewels. You mentioned that you don't have any need for the keep. If that is the case, I would like to buy it from you. It's quite nostalgic and I would love a chance to restore it to its former glory," Strider said.

"My boy, after what you did for us - we'll give you the keep!" Karankawa said.

"Ah, I cannot do that, mayor. I refuse to take advantage of your kindness. I will, however, give you 600,000 jewel for it. It might make your transition into a new place easier," Strider said.

"Are you sure? I don't think the building is even worth that much in its current state, to be honest - it's just a slab of concrete right now," Karankawa said.

"I'm positive, mayor. So how about it?" Strider asked.

"Ha! I don't see anything wrong with it, my boy! I agree to your terms and conditions. You're the proud owner of Valmar Keep now!" Karankawa said, clinking his glass with Striders.

"Excellent. A pleasure doing business, mayor," Strider smiled.

"The pleasure is all mine, my boy!" Karankawa replied, downing his cup.

-o-

At last, the feast had ended and bellies were full. The team had said their goodbyes to the townsfolk and began to make the several hour journeys back to the station. The night was fast approaching as the wind picked up again. Looking behind, Strider saw rainclouds ominously approaching their position.

"I'm surprised. You paid 600,000 jewels for something that you would've easily had for free. The mayor was quite willing," she said.

"Oh! You heard all that?" Strider asked. Erza thanked the heavens that it was so dark outside so that he couldn't make out her slight blush. It's not often that she eavesdropped, but this was a special consideration.

"I did," she said stiffly.

"Well, it's not right to take advantage of another kindness. I would've felt terrible if I had accepted it for free. Besides, the jewel might be better put to use for them; I imagine it'll make their move easier," Strider said.

"A man of morals, I see," Erza said with a smile.

"I'd certainly like to think so," Strider said.

"What do you plan to do with the fortress, though?" she wondered.

"I'm going to try and restore it. It's definitely a long-term project, but I hope it'll be worth it in the end. At the very least, I suppose this is me putting my roots down - or something equivalent," Strider said.

"I see. You mentioned that it reminded you of the architecture back home?" she continued.

"Yup. We have quite a few fortresses, although all of them are larger than Valmar Keep. Still, it's a decent size. I imagine there's quite a bit of history buried there. These kinds of places are storehouses of such," Strider said excitedly.

"It appears as though the prospect excites you," Erza said.

"Oh, you've no idea. I love these kinds of things," Strider said.

"Oh man! Let's hurry up, you guys! I think it's gonna rain soon!" Lucy said, noticing the rapidly approaching clouds. The others nodded and they soon upped their pace, hoping to make it back to the train before long.

-o-

"We're back!" Natsu roared as he kicked the doors of the guild down.

"Ha. Hail the conquering heroes!" Macao and Wakaba, two very close friends, yelled as they raised their drinks high. They were met with a raucous applause from the rest of their guildmates as they got settled back in and began to mingle. Strider headed towards the bar, Erza close behind him.

"Hey! Welcome back!" Mira chirped as she saw him, leaning over the bar.

"Thank you, Mira. Hey, Cana," Strider winked at the beautiful brunette who smiled and offered him a drink. Clinking glasses, he sighed in exaltation as he got settled back in.

"Sore?" Cana asked.

"Not really. Can't say I'm a huge fan of sitting around in a train for so long, though," he said.

"How was the job?" Mira wondered.

"Successful. We were able to drive the bird out of town. Couldn't have done it without the team, though," Strider said earnestly.

"Don't be so modest, It was all Strider's idea," Erza said.

"Oh, hello Erza. I didn't see you there," Mira said as she leaned back, her voice cooler. Continuing as though she didn't hear her, Erza began to recount the tale for the listening pleasure of the brunette and white haired beauties.

"Wow. That's pretty impressive. I don't think I've ever _heard_ of Tamer Magic before," Cana said in surprise.

"Yeah, no kidding. You might be an S-Class Wizard in your own right," Mira said, serious in her praise. Most S-Class requests were difficult for S-Class wizards - even skilled ones; pulling one off without a hitch was almost unheard of.

"I dunno about that. Like I said, I don't think I could've done it without the team. Or, if I had, I think it would've turned out far more different," Strider said, a dark look passing over his eye. He quickly recovered himself; the three ladies didn't seem to note it.

"So what's next for you? Going to take another job?" Mira wondered.

"Dunno. Probably, but may take sometime to unwind first," Strider said.

"I think that would be well," Erza nodded, quickly ordering a strawberry cake before leaving.

"I hope you didn't get into any trouble last night," Strider said to Cana.

"Ugh, you've no idea. The proprietor really chewed me out. Thanks for nothing," Cana grumbled.

"You can't seriously blame me! You invited _me_ over, remember?" Strider exclaimed.

"Yeah, and I got in trouble for it," Cana said.

"Mmm… perhaps I can make it up to you somehow?" Strider suggested.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" Cana asked with a smirk.

"I'll leave that to you," Strider said.

"That's a dangerous move. What if I ask you to do something really messed up?" Cana wondered.

"Oh, the worse the better, Cana," Strider said, leaning in and dropping his voice low. She blushed as she felt his breath on her ear. From his point, Strider winked at Mira who smiled sourly in return; Strider and Cana were getting far too close, far too quickly in her mind.

"I'll keep that in mind. Anyways… I have to go take care of something. I'll see you guys later," Cana said, flashing Strider a charming smile before she headed back to Fairy Hills for the night.

"She seems flustered," Mira said.

"Kind of like you last night, no?" Strider wondered.

"What? I don't think remember that," Mira said with a blush.

"No? Because I remember it quite clearly. Kind of cute, if I do say so myself," Strider said with a laugh.

"Ugh. Tell. No. One. Understand?" Mira said sharply.

"Fine, fine. I promise," Strider sighed.

"Good. Oh, I wanted to let you know - Bisca is here right now, over at that table, if you want to ask her about guns," Mira said, pointing towards a table near the job board. Strider saw a beautiful woman with full, red lips, and shoulder length green hair seated there; dressed in a brown cowboy hat; a black bra with a gold trim; and an orange skirt with a brown waistband. She also wore cowboy boots with spurs and had brown wristbands with a gold trim.

"Wonderful. Thanks, Mira," Strider said, flashing her a charming smile before making his way over. As he approached her, Bisca looked up and smiled, resting her head on an open palm. Her eyes flitted up and down his form, taking it in.

"Howdy. You must be the new guy," she said.

"That I am, Miss. It's a pleasure to meet you. Mind if I sit?" he wondered.

"Please," Bisca said, pointing to a chair.

"Thank you. I don't think I saw you here last night or the night before," Strider said.

"Yeah, I just got back from a job a couple of hours ago. Taking a quick lil' break before I go on another," Bisca said.

"I see. Well, if you have a little bit of time, I was hoping I could ask you about something," Strider said.

"Oh? What's that?" she inquired.

"Well, I was talking to Cana last night when she mentioned something about a weapon known as a _'gun'_ ," Strider said.

"You don't know what a gun is?" Bisca asked in surprise.

"Can't say that I do. Everyone I've spoken to about it says that I ought to talk to you, however. I gather you're quite gifted with the weapon," Strider said.

"Ha. I dunno, I suppose I'm good enough with it. But sure, I'd be happy to fill you in. This is a gun," Bisca said as she pulled it out. Strider looked in surprise as Bisca handed the weapon to him. He turned it over in his hands, caressing its curves as gently as would be with a lover. He admired the polished wooden stock which soon turned into a long, steel, hexagonal barrel with an iron sight.

"This is amazing. The closest we have to this is a bow and arrow. But this… it's far more effect. Much more portable, at the very least," he said in awe.

"I'm surprised you've never seen one, honestly. Guess things must work differently wherever you're from. But this just one of mine. I've others that look different and have different properties," Bisca said.

"I see. So is your magic like Erza's? Requip, I believe it's called?" Strider wondered.

"Yup. Mine is Requip: The Gunner. I store the guns I need in a pocket dimension and call them when I need them; just like with Erza and her armors and weapons. They all use magic bullets, so I never run out of ammunition. Some are more powerful than others, while others are more for slow shots, focusing on accuracy; and still, others are for rapid fire in much more crowded situations," Bisca explained.

"That seems kind of dangerous," Strider noted.

"Na. The beauty of my magic is that I can tone it up or down. I only ever use enough power to make them hurt, never much more than that," Bisca said seriously.

"I see. So you've never had an accident like that?" Strider wondered.

"Nope, can't say that I have. Of course, there are plenty of bad mages out there - some of them use Gun Magic as well, and they work as assassins or similar. Not me, though. Requests are hard work… but they're honest work," Bisca said with a tentative smile.

"Well said, Bisca," Strider nodded.

"So, curious - if you don't have guns up there, what do y'all fight with?" Bisca asked.

"Ah… well, humans are humans, after all. Just because we lack some weaponry doesn't mean we're not good at killing each other," Strider said with a bitter smile. Bisca picked up on the change in tone and grimaced.

"My bad. I didn't mean to bring up any… uhh… bad memories," she said.

"It's fine. Sorry… I was a soldier before I came down here. It's something I'm… trying my best to forget," Strider said, looking towards the job board - was there something there that would occupy his mind?

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. A lot us have something we're not fond of talking of… or trying to get away from," Bisca said, looking down.

"I've gathered. I suppose it does build camaraderie," Strider said.

"I guess. Would be nice to do that some other way, though," Bisca sighed.

"Hear, hear," Strider nodded. They two sat in a heavy silence for a while before Bisca spoke again.

"So, new guy - you got a name?" she asked.

"Oh - did I not share? I'm sorry, that was incredibly rude," Strider said in surprise.

"Don't sweat it," Bisca giggled.

"My name's Strider. A pleasure," he said, extending a hand.

"A pleasure, Strider. Bisca Mulan," she replied, taking it.

"The pleasure is all mine, Miss Mulan," he said, kissing it. Bisca blushed and smiled at the gesture before slowly getting up, looking wistfully outside.

"I best head back. I get the feeling it's gonna rain," she sighed.

"Good sense. Probably in the next ten minutes, if I had to guess," Strider said, following her gaze.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Strider," she said, waving at him before taking her leave. Watching her go for a little bit, Strider headed back to the bar and rejoined Mira.

"Hey. Learn what you needed?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yup. Bisca has quite the talent. I'm not even sure I was holding the thing right," Strider sighed.

"I'm sure she'll give you some lessons if you want them. Anyways, it's getting late. You ought to get to bed soon," Mira said.

"What about you? Isn't it about closing time?" Strider asked, looking around. the guild was slowly emptying; the raucous Gray and Natsu had already taken their leave.

"Yeah, but I have to make sure everything is set before closing up," Mira sighed; looking around, she still had quite a bit of work to do.

"Perhaps I could help?" Strider offered.

"It's fine. I don't want to trouble you," she said.

"I don't mind, Mira," he said. Biting her thumb, Mira thought about it. With his telekinetic magic, she could get most of the work out of the way.

"If you really don't mind… could you restock the supplies and put the chairs up?" she asked, pointing to the multiple open boxes littered behind the bar. They were full of alcohol, water, flour, sugar, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, and a variety of other ingredients needed for food and drink. Strider nodded and held his hand out at the ingredients first. Mira stood back and watched in amazement and bottles and sacks and tubes and flasks suddenly began flying around, easily avoiding hitting anything that could damage them. The ingredients flew into their labeled receptacles, neatly being placed there. Mira quickly went through and checked - everything was in perfect place. Next, Strider held his hand out several rags atop the counter. They flew to the chairs and tables and began to wipe them down, polishing them neatly. After that was finished, the chairs flipped aboard the tables. The job that took Mira at least half an hour to do every night was done in the span of several minutes.

"Wow. That's amazing," she said.

"Magic comes in useful for many things - big and small," Strider said with a small smile, looking at his hand. He clenched it into a fist before unclenching and looking at Mira, who was still looking around the now clean guild hall - making sure everything was in right order.

"I don't know what to say, Strider. Thank you so much!" she said happily before hugging him. He returned the hug, gently rubbing her back.

"Not at all, Mira. Thanks for taking the time to show me around last night," he said.

"I was happy to do it," she said, still resting her head on his chest. She paused to listen to his calm and stable heartbeat yet again.

"You better head back home, now. Might be able to beat the - ah, no. Never mind," Strider sighed as the rain began again. It skipped the drizzle, opting to pour like a waterfall. Mira groaned as she looked out.

"I didn't bring an umbrella," she sighed.

"Here, take this," Strider said, taking his cloak off and putting it around her. She blushed as she felt his hands on her shoulders, pressing them gently.

"Are you sure?" she asked him quietly.

"Positive. You won't even feel it. I'd offer to walk you home, but I'm feeling quite drowsy myself," he said. Mira nodded; she noticed his eyes struggling to stay awake. Smiling wide, she gave him one more tight hug.

"Thanks, Strider. I'll bring it back tomorrow," she whispered.

"Good night, Mira," he said as he leaned back from the hug, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She felt the spot begin to burn a bit; looking up at him, she saw him warmly at her. Nodding, she turned on her heel and headed out, pulling the hood over her head and holding the robe tight. As she crossed the threshold outside, she inhaled deeply.

 _'Mmm… he smells so good,'_ she thought, giggling to herself as she quickly headed home. She found him true to his word - not a single drop of water could be felt seeping through the fabric. She marveled at it; it was a midnight-black, save for the silver tree, stars, and crown on the back; it felt like nothing she had touched before - a velvety and soft, but extremely tough, supple, dry; and one of a hundred different properties. There was nothing like this in Fiore - or all of Ishgar, she thought. Inside, she was as warm as she was when she hugged him; in fact, simply wearing the hood and cloak was like feeling him wrap his arms around her, holding her tightly and protecting her against the elements. Mira blushed as that thought crossed her mind and she quickened her pace.

-o-

"Hey, I'm home," she called out, locking the door behind her and taking the hood off.

"Mira! Is that Strider's cloak?" Lisanna asked in surprise.

"Yeah. He lent it to me for the night," Mira said, brushing the top. It was damp and dripping water, but much more dry than she thought it would be.

"What?! Why are you wearing his clothes?! Oh… Oh no… don't tell me!" Elfman asked, horrified. Mira blushed a deep red before her She-Devil aura surged forward, putting the Fear of God into her brother.

"No," she said dangerously.

"Oh, thank God," Elfman said in relief. Looking to her sister, she saw Lisanna grinning devilishly at her.

"What?" Mira groaned.

"You know! That's _so_ cute! He's already letting you wear his clothes!" Lisanna cooed.

"Ugh… good night, Lis, Elf," Mira said, rushing upstairs. She heard them say goodnight to her before they went to their rooms as well. Opening her door, she took hood and cloak off and laid them out across the footboard of her bed. Getting changed into her pajamas, she gently laid down and sighed in comfort. Smiling, she closed her eyes and soon began dreaming about a certain new Fairy.


	4. Endurance

As Mira got dressed the next day, she looked over at the foot of her bed, where Strider's hood and cloak were still draped. Touching the material, she felt that it was completely dry. She brought it up to her face and took in a deep whiff again; his smell mingled with the rain, giving it a heady scent. Looking outside, she saw that the weather had decidedly not let up yet. Putting it back on, she quickly grabbed an umbrella and made her way over to the guild hall to open up. As she crossed the threshold, she looked up to the room she knew he was staying in.

 _'I wonder if he's awake?'_ she wondered as she softly made her way up the stairs, taking the hood and cloak off. She softly rapped on the door and soon hear a weary voice.

"Ugh. Yes, come in," Strider said, obviously just woken up.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you," Mira said with a sorry smile as she popped her head in.

"Oh, Mira. Not at all. Please, come on in," Strider said as he got up and stretched, smiling at the beauty.

"I just wanted to return these. Thanks for lending them to me last night. It kept me really warm and dry," she said appreciably.

"You're very welcome. Feel free to use them whenever you'd like. I get the feeling that this rain might continue for a while," Strider said, looking outside. The weather had decidedly not let up over the last couple of days.

"I know what you mean. It's usually so sunny over here. I think it started the day you came here, in fact," Mira noted.

"Ah. Well… thank you for making my arrival sound so depressing," Strider grumbled.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Mira added quickly.

"Ha. Don't worry about it. I love the rain like I said. This is the best kind of weather I can think of," Strider said as he opened the window slightly, letting a small gust of wind in. Mira shivered slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, smiling at him.

"I can kind of see what you mean. It's a nice change of pace. That said, I hope it lets up soon. Anyways, I gotta go get things ready. Why don't you get some more rest?" Mira suggested.

"Good idea. Thanks, Mira," Strider said before he went over to his bed and collapsed on it, quickly dozing off. With a giggle, Mira took her leave.

-o-

"The guild hall looks a lot more fuller than usual," Strider noted as he sat with his team and looked around.

"Yes, I believe the master will be making an announcement soon," Erza said.

"Oh? About what?" Strider asked. Before Erza could speak again, Makarov's voice boomed over the guild. Everyone stopped talking immediately and took care to listen.

"LISTEN UP, YOU LITTLE BRATS! SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION COMING YOUR WAY HERE!" he roared as stood atop the second-floor balcony, a wide grin on his face.

"That's quite a devilish smile he's put on. This should be interesting," Strider said, intrigued.

"First of all - I want to congratulate Natsu and Gray. Yesterday, they went on a job and DIDN'T destroy half the town while doing so! A round of applause for them!" Makarov yelled. Natsu and Gray turned bright red in embarrassment while half the guild cried out in shock and surprise. Mira giggled at the confused look on Strider's face.

"Natsu and Gray can be quite boisterous on their jobs. Not doing damage is quite rare for them. Actually, this is the first I've heard of it," she said.

"Ha. Yup, I most definitely joined the most interesting team in the guild, I think. They're young, though. So long as nobody gets hurt and the damage can be paid off, there's not _too_ much wrong with that. That said, I'll help keep them in check," Strider said to Erza.

"At last, another mature person on the team. With Wendy and I, that makes three," Erza said sagely.

"Second - it's that time of year again, folks! The 24 Hour Endurance Race is upon us! Get ready!" Makarov yelled.

"But master, have you seen the weather outside?!" Droy complained.

"I have - and too bad, so sad! You know what happens to the loser, Droy my boy!" Master said with a dark chuckle. Strider saw several of the guild members blanch as they grudgingly got to their feet and began to stretch.

"What's this about a race?" Strider wondered.

"It's something we do every year. He'll explain the details once we're all lined up outside. In fact, I think there's probably already a crowd building up," Erza said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I don't think many people are going to want to watch the race in this weather," Mira said.

"Ugh. He can be a real prick sometimes. What's the point, anyways? Jet always manages to win the race," Cana grumbled.

"What's his magic, super speed?" Strider asked with a chuckle.

"Yup," Mira chirped.

"Oh…," he sweatdropped.

 _'Huh. This might be fun, I think. Looks like Jet's the one to watch for,'_ Strider thought.

"Well, shall we?" Erza asked.

"Let's," Mira said, quickly walking around the bar to join the others. They soon set out into the pouring rain and headed towards the start line.

-o-

"Now, I hope you're all prepared! You know what happens to those that come in last," Makarov said with an evil chuckle.

"That's a bit creepy," Strider whispered to Mira, who stood off to the side under her umbrella. She appeared to not be taking part in the event.

"Well, Master Makarov's reason for loving this race so much is because of the punishment for last place," Mira giggled.

"Punishment? What punishment?" he wondered.

"Oh, you'll see. If you'd rather not embarrass yourself permanently, I suggest you try your best," Mira said with a smirk.

"Now, you all mostly know the rules but for some of you, this is your first race ever - Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Strider," Makarov said.

"You forgot Kinana, Master," Mira said.

"Oh, no, my dear! Kinana's going to be helping me here, Mira. You're part of the race this year!" Makarov said with an uproarious laugh.

"But-," Mira began before Makarov tsk'ed her.

"Now, now, - doesn't that sound like fun?" Makarov asked. Mira was about to speak again but just let out a deep sigh. Spreading her hands to the side, Strider saw her begin to glow - much to his surprise. As the glow faded, Mira was wearing something different - instead of the beautiful, red dress she wore prior, she had on a tank top, jacket, hat, and running sweats.

"Ugh," she groaned as she stood next to Strider.

"That was quite impressive, Mira," Strider said.

"Hmm? What?" she wondered.

"How you changed so quickly. Is that what Transformation is like?" he asked.

"It's a part of it. Changing clothes isn't too difficult. There're several different stages to it, though. I can give you a lesson later if you'd like?" Mira offered.

"I'd love that," Strider said.

"Likewise," Mira said sweetly before Makarov spoke again.

"Now - here are the rules! First, no flying!" Makarov said.

"Too bad for you. If you could fly, you might've had this in the bag," Mira said.

"Oh, don't count me out yet," Strider said with a grin.

"Mm? Already have a plan?" she wondered.

"I'm afraid I can't say. Just wait and see," Strider said.

"Two! The objective is to make it to the mountains. Once you climb, you'll take a Wyvern Scale - there should be plenty enough for everyone! Pick it up and return here within the allotted 24 hours! Whoever falls into last place - or takes longer than 24 hours - will receive the punishment!" Makarov yelled.

"Alright, everyone! On your marks!" Kinana, a petite girl with violet hair and green eyes, cried out. Everyone kneeled slightly, getting ready to go.

"Get set!" she cried next; everyone looked about ready to leap.

"And go!" she finally said. With that, everyone took off. Jet was immediately in first place, kicking his Speed Magic into full gear. Keeping a hand on his hat to make sure he didn't fly off, he was easily out of sight and out of mind.

"You weren't kidding," Strider said as he kept pace with Mira, Cana, Erza, Lisanna, Bisca, Levy, and Lucy.

"Told you," Mira said.

"Time for me to put my magic into effect, it seems. Apologies, ladies - this is where we part ways," Strider said. Getting a few feet in front, Strider held his hand out. A small tree was suddenly uprooted from the ground. Taking his sword, he quickly sheared the branches off and split it in half. Several guild members paused, intrigued by what he was trying to pull. Fashioning a small board, Strider got on it, winked at his new friends, and suddenly propelled himself forward with his magic.

"NO WAY! MASTER, CAN HE DO THAT?!" Gray yelled at Makarov, who laughed wildly.

"Ha! Of course - he's not flying, after all! You kids better hurry up! Looks like little Wendy also got the jump on you!" Makarov said happily. Their heads snapped forward again and they saw what he meant. Taking a small board that Strider left behind, Wendy began to use her Sky Dragon Magic to propel herself forward, leaving the others with gaping mouths. First, second, and third positions were already full - all everyone had to do now was not be dead last.

"CRAP! SCREW IT, I'M DOING THAT TOO!" Natsu yelled as he grabbed two small boards. Tying them to his feet with some vines that were laying around, he put Happy atop his head and went forward, searing the ground behind him black.

"THAT'S NOT FAIR! I WON'T BE OUTDONE BY FLAME BRAIN!" Gray yelled as he kicked himself into high gear and zipped after Natsu. Gajeel and Lily put all they had into it as well; they would not be outdone by the pink haired Dragon Slayer or his Exceed partner. The ladies were in the front and middle while the rest of the men in the guild appeared to lack behind. So long as no one was last or late, it didn't really matter.

"Think Strider will catch Jet?" Lisanna wondered.

"Maybe. Jet is _very_ fast," Levy chirped.

"I thought for sure he was going to offer to whisk you up and take you along," Mira teased the bluenette, who blushed.

"Oh? I thought Strider was gonna do the same for you," Lisanna said with a smirk. Now it was Mira's turn to blush. She just looked ahead, much to her sister's amusement.

"What was that you said about giving him a lesson?" Bisca wondered.

"Oh - that's to explain the mechanics of my magic. He's curious," Mira said.

"I could do that, if you don't want to spend time with him," Lisanna offered.

"Thanks, Lis, but I think I can handle it," Mira said.

"Mmhmm," Lisanna hummed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Mira grumbled.

"It means that you came home wearing his clothes last night!" her sister giggled.

"What?" Erza asked in shock.

"It's not like that! It was raining, so he lent me his cloak and hood. That's all!" Mira said.

"I agree with Mira. He let me wear it as well," Cana said quickly.

"What? When?" Mira asked.

"When he came over to my room," Cana said.

"WHAT?! WHEN WAS THIS?! DON'T TELL ME YOU TWO…!" Erza trailed off in shock and horror.

"WHAT?! NO! Tch - Levy, you need to stop letting Erza borrow those books!" Cana said to the bluenette, whose blush deepened.

"I have n-no i-idea what you're talking about," Levy said.

"Mhm… but no, nothing happened. Well…," Cana trailed off. She remembered Strider hovering over her.

"Well? Well, what?" Bisca asked sharply.

"Nothing," Cana said quietly.

"Nothing always means something. Tell us," Mira ordered.

"It's nothing, Mira," Cana replied tersely. Mira looked at her before shrugging.

"Talking about the mysterious new Fairy?" Laki asked as she caught up with them. She was a slim girl of average height with straight pale lavender that came over her forehead in a small fringe and her shoulders in two long strands. Her glasses were extremely wet, leading her to continuously wipe them off in the rain.

"What do you think about him, Laki?" Lisanna wondered.

"He's very handsome. I wonder what kind of torture devices they use where he's from?" she wondered. The other girl's sweat dropped; of course, their lovable guildmate would ask that.

"He certainly knows what to say, as Lucy could tell you," Erza said thoughtfully.

"What?! Don't drag me into this conversation!" Lucy squealed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cana asked.

"Nothing!" Lucy said, turning red.

"If you weren't blushing, I might believe you," Mira grimaced.

"He called her beautiful on several occasions. No one calls her that," Erza said.

"Gee… thanks, Erza," Lucy deadpanned.

"What do you think of him, Lucy?" Lisanna asked.

"I THINK I NEED TO MAKE A QUICK EXIT! GATE OF THE GOLDEN BULL - TAURUS! COME ON, LET'S HEAD TO THAT MOUNTAIN!" Lucy cried to her newly summoned spirit - Taurus, the perverted bull. He whisked her up and left the others lagging behind as he howled about his master's beautiful body.

 _'Ugh. I'm gonna have to suffer this pervert until the race is done. Can't believe Erza told them that!'_ Lucy squealed to herself. Quickly, however, her mind drifted to her newest team member.

"Hmph. Say whatever you want Mira. Your little sister knows," Lisanna said teasingly.

"I'm pretty sure you were checking him out when he first got here as well, Lis," Mira shot back.

"I was not!" Lisanna complained; her blush told a different story.

"Uh-huh… is that why you're so red?" Mira asked. Lisanna grumbled before she was suddenly covered in a glow as Mira was when she transformed. Upon finishing, where once stood Lisanna was now a gigantic, purple bunny.

"See you guys later!" Lisanna chirped as she began hopping towards the forest, clearing tens of feet with each hop.

"So Levy?" Cana wondered.

"…Yeah?" Levy grimaced; she had an idea of what Cana wanted to ask.

"What do you think of Strider?" she wondered.

"Mmm… I mean he's not unattractive, but… I dunno," Levy said uncomfortably. Her mind was squarely set on another man in the guild - on a particular Dragon Slayer.

"Everything aside, you do seem to have spent a bit of time with him, Mirajane. Have you picked up anything so far?" Erza wondered.

"No more than you guys, I think. I know he's from the Northern Continent and he mentioned something about being a soldier there. I don't think he particularly wants to talk about it, though. There's obviously things here that they don't have up there - like guns, for example," Mira said.

"Mmm, yes. Trains as well. He was surprised to see something like that," Erza said.

"They don't have trains?! What, do they still use a horse and carriage or something?" Cana asked in surprise.

"Maybe. I assume they have things we don't either, though. That hood and cloak that he wears are pretty amazing. Light and warm, but no wrinkles or tears or anything. Just… perfect," Mira said.

"It does appear to have properties that we lack here. Perhaps it's woven in some particular way. I would love to add it to my repertoire," Erza thought out loud.

"Besides that, I haven't picked up too much. He does appear to be a powerful mage, though. What about you? Figure anything on the job?" Mira asked as she and the ladies crossed into the forest. With each stomp they took, mud flew in every direction, soon coating their legs and feet.

"A bit. He's an intelligent strategist. He handled the situation with finesse, which with our team is… difficult, to say the least. He also seems to place quite a bit of emphasis on morals and ethics. He was offered a fortress near the town we saved for free, but wouldn't take it. He insisted on paying them out of his reward," Erza said.

"Why does he want a fortress?" Mira asked, bewildered.

"He said it reminded him of his home. I believe he intends to restore it sooner or later. More impressive, however, was how he handled the job. He was able to use something he calls _'Tamer Magic'_ on the creature. He made it his partner," Erza said, replaying the event in her mind. She was used to hammering the nail down; she never even considered using such a form of magic to finish a task.

"Tamer Magic?" Mira asked in surprise.

"You'd have to ask him about the particulars. That said, he certainly is attractive," Erza said, a slight blushing on her cheeks.

"Really? You think so?" Mira asked, cracking a devious smile. Her best friend didn't often talk about men with her; this was a first.

"Mhm," Erza nodded before putting an extra oomph into her step and taking a slight lead over the rest of the girls.

 _'She's not wrong. He's really handsome,'_ Mira thought. Looking sideways, she saw the contemplative looks on Cana and Bisca's face; no doubt they were having similar thoughts.

-o-

Sure of his comfortable lead, Jet had decided to take a small breather under a tree. The rain continued to pour with no end in sight, puddling slightly in his hat.

"Jeez… when is this going to end?" he whined. Hearing him from a distance, Strider slowed down and began to slowly creep along the path.

 _'Hmm… Natsu's racket is still quite behind. Someone else is behind me… can't be sure of who, though. Maybe Gray? I was lucky to stay this close. Jet's quite fast. That said… perhaps some stealth is better used in this situation,'_ Strider thought as he slowly edged along the path behind a thicket of trees. He kept his eyes in Jets direction, preparing to race again if he heard him. The heavy rain concealed his squelching footsteps well, giving him the element that he needed.

-o-

"Let's go, Natsu! We're almost caught up to Wendy and Carla!" Happy shouted enthusiastically.

"I got this, buddy!" Natsu said excitedly, his eyes set on eclipsing the young Dragon Slayer.

"Ugh, those two…," Carla sighed, shaking her head tiredly.

"It's all good fun!" Wendy said in her usual shy-bubbly attitude.

"Do you really want to find out what Master has planned for the losers?" Carla asked. Wendy let out a little yelp before kicking it into overdrive, intent on not coming last.

"WHAT?! NO FAIR!" Natsu groaned. Chancing a look behind him, he saw Gray quickly approaching. The Ice Make wizard was transforming the ground in front of him into ice, tripping up his opponents behind and making solid headway on catching up with his rival.

"YOU WON'T BEAT ME, FLAME BRAIN!" Gray roared, a glint of danger in his eyes.

"YEAH?! WELL BRING IT ON, ELSA!" Natsu shouted back, kicking his flames into overdrive.

-o-

As he edged a mile out in front of Jet, Strider had finally taken the lead. Listening intently, he heard wind gusting behind him. Turning his head, he saw Wendy on his tail, smiling and waving at him.

"Hello, Wendy," he said kindly as she caught up; they were both in the shadow of the mountain right now with a lead on the competition, bar Natsu, and Gray.

"Hi, Strider! You're doing well!" she chirped.

"As are you. Is Jet still asleep?" he wondered.

"Uhh… yeah. I thought about waking him up but Carla said not to," Wendy said. Strider chuckled as he ruffled her hair; the little girl had a wonderful heart.

"Enough chatting, Wendy! We're in it to win it!" Carla said.

"But we're in the lead, Carla! And we're almost at the mountain!" Wendy whined.

"Yes, but it looks as though Natsu and Gray are catching up. Look there," Carla deadpanned, hiking a thumb back. Strider laughed as he saw several trees erupt in flame or freeze solid.

"Those two are at each other's throats constantly, aren't they?" he asked fondly.

"Indeed. We've only been part of Fairy Tail shortly, but even we can tell that Natsu and Gray are an old married couple," Carla sighed.

"How do you two like this guild?" Strider asked.

"I love it! Everyone is so nice here!" Wendy said with a smile.

"Yes, that does appear to be the case. It appears as though I've made the correct choice," Strider said.

"You may have wanted to get a clearer idea of the guild you wished to join, however. Wendy and I worked with three guilds, including Fairy Tail, before we decided to join," Carla said.

"Perhaps. But I'm confident that I made the right choice. Part-relaxing and part-exciting are exactly what I needed," Strider said.

"Two different traits," Carla noted.

"Sure. But so rare, that if someone does it right, you don't ask questions," Strider said.

"I'm curious - do you intend to stay here long? You appeared to sound transient on your first night," Carla said.

"I haven't quite decided yet. I came here without making any grand plans. For now, at least, I'm here. Whether that'll change in a week or month from now, I can't quite say," Strider said distantly.

"Well, I hope you decided to stay, Strider! I'm sure you're going to love it here!" Wendy said determinedly. Strider smiled at the girl and nodded before setting his eyes ahead and keeping pace with her - easier said than done, he thought; while he had more control over his magic, Wendy was one with the nature around her.

-o-

"You idiots! We're supposed to be racing, not fighting! What am I going to do with you two?" Erza groaned as she tapped on the iced ground in front of her. Natsu and Gray were both knocked out cold, having decided to beat each other unconscious as opposed to actually racing. Standing close to her, Mira giggled at their antics.

"Sucks for them. I vote we leave them behind," Cana said, tying her wet hair in a ponytail.

"Seconded," Bisca said, doing the same. She grimaced as she felt how wet and bogged down her hair was.

"I'm with them," Mira added.

"It appears that's the only thing we can do. Let's continue," Erza said, leading the girls along.

"Sorry, guys!" Laki and Levy said to the fallen trio before continuing as well.

"Idiots," Erza sighed.

"It's still cute," Mira said.

"That doesn't change the fact that they're complete and utter idiots. I swear they've fought each other so much that it has begun to impact their psyche," Erza groaned.

"You're so mean to them, Erza," Cana laughed.

"Someone has to keep them in line," she stated.

-o-

"I think I just heard Lucy," Wendy said, looking behind.

"Yes, I picked that up as well. As well as what appeared to be someone praising her looks," Strider chimed.

"How can you hear all that?" Wendy wondered.

"I spent a considerable amount of time improving my senses, Wendy. That said, listen closely," Strider said. Wendy closed her eyes as she kept her magic up and did what he said; soon, she heard what he was talking about.

"Wow! Did I just do that as well?" she asked excitedly.

"Mmm… sort of. In this case, I think it's more the fact that Lucy and whoever is with her are _extremely_ loud. I think everyone heard, to be honest. As good as my senses are, I don't think I'd be able to pick up on a conversation someone was having in a smattering rain. Although, if you're anything like Natsu, I imagine your senses are far greater than mine," Strider said.

"Are you talking about how Natsu reacts when it comes to food?" Carla asked.

"Ha. In part. Erza inferred that Dragon Slayers have increased senses as well," Strider said.

"Yup! Mostly smell and hearing, though," Wendy said.

"It's quite an amazing ability, to be honest. I've seen people spend years - decades, even - trying to attune one sense perfectly; you appear to have done so without much effort," Strider said.

"Thanks," Wendy said, blushing at the praise.

"I do have one more question if you don't mind," Carla said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"You appear to speak our language quite well. Do you use it where you're from?" Carla asked.

"Some of it. I was surprised when I arrived here, that I knew many of the words people spoke. That said, there are some differences from what I'm used to. I kept my nose to the books for a little while, as it were," Strider said.

"Interesting. Perhaps there _was_ some form of communication between the two lands at some point, then?" Carla offered.

"A reasonable conclusion, Carla. Although I wonder what changed?" Strider said. The three began to ponder that as they continued their journey in silence.

-o-

 _'Ugh. I'm really starting to regret calling this pervert,'_ Lucy groaned, complaining silently about Taurus, the Celestial Spirit of the Golden Bull. The black and white spotted spirit had hearts in his eyes as he carried Lucy along, complimenting her on her beauty.

"Aren't you flattered, Miss Luuuuuucy?" he asked.

"Ugh…," Lucy sighed. While she initially was flattered, by now it had gotten more than a little annoying. Regardless, she got herself as comfortable as possible and let him continue his rambling; it was better than the alternative: walking in the downpour and getting dirtied by the mud. Very quickly, her mind began to trail to her newest teammate. She wondered if Strider was still in the lead?

 _'I really hope he stays. We need another mature person on the team… and at least one mature guy,'_ she thought.

-o-

"It appears we'll have to scale it without the use of flight, child," Carla said.

"Yeah. It looks really slippery, though," Wendy complained, looking at the mountain.

"Here Wendy - hop on," Strider said as he knelt down.

"Really? Are you sure? We're supposed to be competing against each other…," Wendy trailed off.

"I'm sure," Strider said. Nodding, Wendy gingerly put her arms around Strider's neck, holding gently but securely. Getting back to his feet, Strider deftly began to scale the side of the mountain. Carla rested atop his head, keeping an eye out for any sign of danger that might approach, although, besides the inclemency, there was no problem. Looking behind, she saw that thus far, no one had caught up yet - not even Gray and Natsu.

"It appears the wonder twins are still ways away," Carla said.

"Ha. Perhaps their encounter left them winded. I imagine it'll be entertaining to see what Master Makarov has in store for them," Strider laughed. He kept his talking to a minimum below that for there rest of the climb as the rain began to pelt him harder. Smiling through it, however, he soon reached a small ledge with white squares - the Wyvern's Scales. Getting to his feet, he looked around.

"Looking for the Wyvern?" Carla asked, her voice on edge.

"I am. No trace, however. Perhaps these are scales that it shed? I don't think Master Makarov would have us actually fight it - not in this weather, and not with a handicap like no flight," Strider said.

"I agree. Plan on grabbing some for the others as well?" Carla asked.

"Nope. They're gonna have to work for it. Here you two go, though," Strider said, passing each of them a scale and pocketing his own.

"Thanks, Strider," Wendy said softly, embarrassed to look him in the eye. Trading a glance with Carla, Strider gently ruffled her hair before looking down.

"Hold on tight, Wendy. We're going to try something a bit different," Strider said.

"What do yo-AHHH!" Wendy cried out as she did what he said. As opposed to scaling carefully down the side of the mountain, Strider took a little leap and began to slide down it with his tree board. He held on to Wendy's hands clasped around his front with one hand and Carla with the other. Their hair whipped wildly behind them, but as soon as the ride began, it stopped. Landing with a soft thud, Strider leaned down and let Wendy get off.

"That was… some more warning would've been nice!" Carla chided him.

"Sorry about that. If I warned you, we might've spent longer discussing it. Don't worry; I wouldn't have let her get hurt," Strider said.

"Child, I was more worried for myself!" Carla said as she hopped atop Wendy's head, breathing heavily.

"Ah. My apologies yet again," Strider said, although his tone wasn't very apologetic. Looking up, he saw that it was becoming dark very quick.

"Hmm… it appears we still have quite a while to get back, although it's going to be pitch black soon. I'm not sure how the others are going to be able to run like that or scale the mountain. It'd be difficult in good weather, without flight," Strider noted.

"Do you think we should make camp?" Wendy asked.

"Perhaps. I think we can still get an hour or two in before having to settle down, though," Strider said.

"We do have a comfortable lead, at least. I imagine it'd take them a while to get back up and down without any insane tactics," Carla said.

"Right. Shall we?" Strider asked. Wendy nodded and soon, the two were at it again.

-o-

"It sounds as though someone is making the return journey already," Erza said as she, Mira, Bisca, and Cana huddled under a mighty yew tree. The torrential rain had begun pouring in earnest; some puddles would drench them up to their thighs.

"Ugh… Master really shouldn't have made us run in this weather. I don't think we'll be getting far tonight," Cana said.

"On the bright side, no one else will be either. Elfman, Droy, Nab, Max, Vijeeter, Freed, Wakaba, Macao, Reedus, Alzack, Warren, and Bixlow are still pretty far behind. I don't think they'll be trying to catch up tonight," Mira giggled.

"I can't believe you all left me behind!" Evergreen complained as she finally caught up with them. Starting with Freed and Bixlow, two of her best friends, she quickly decided to leave them behind.

"Abandoning the guys?" Bisca giggled.

"They were slowing me down," Evergreen said haughtily.

"I do feel bad for Levy and Laki, though," Mira sighed.

"They'll be fine. Where are Gajeel and Juvia, though?" Evergreen wondered.

"Juvia… I have no idea. I think she tried to use the stream, but it might've actually pushed her further away from the mountain. Gajeel overtook us a little while ago, but I think he's going to be stopping as well. Natsu and Gray are still out cold," Mira said.

"Happy decided to run ahead, I believe. I don't think Natsu will be too happy about that," Cana said.

"Oh, hello Wendy, Carla," Erza said as she quickly ushered the little girl over to them. She had just emerged through a thicket of trees, dripping wet.

"Th-thanks, Erza," Wendy said, shivering and holding the black cloak and hood tightly.

"Are you alright?" Mira asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'm fine! Just a little cold," Wendy said.

"Isn't that Strider's cloak?" Cana wondered.

"Yeah. He lent it to me because of the rain. He's going to get some firewood," Wendy said.

"I don't think he'll find anything dry in this weather, unfortunately," Erza sighed.

"Here, rest for a bit," Mira said as she sat the little girl down on a less wet patch of ground. Wendy smiled appreciatively at her before her eyes began to droop slightly. They waited for a long while before they heard another set of feet. Strider soon joined them, holding dry wood in his arms and using his magic to repel the rain.

"Hello, ladies. Nice weather we're having, no?" he said, laying them down. Erza quickly shifted into her Flame Empress Armor and ignited the wood before shifting into something more comfortable and warm.

"Absolutely not!" Evergreen said.

"You three are on your way back?" Bisca wondered.

"Yup. Picked up the Wyvern Scales a while ago. But with how dark it is out here, as well as the terrible visibility, we decided to make camp for a little bit. I believe Gajeel is doing the same a little ahead of you all, although with no fire," Strider said, pointing in Iron Dragon Slayers direction.

"Any other hints you wouldn't mind sharing?" Cana wondered.

"That'd ruin the surprise, I'm afraid. That said, I can offer you something else," Strider said. Holding up his right middle finger and forefinger, he swiped them in a wide area. The girls let out an exalted sigh as they finally felt the biting wind and pelting rain stop. Holding their hands out, they made sure of what was happening.

"That's pretty useful. Is this your magic?" Bisca wondered.

"Yup. I don't mind the rain much, but I figure this might make the next few hours a bit more comfortable," he said.

"Thoughtful, aren't you?" Evergreen asked.

"Strider. And I certainly try my best to be a gentleman, Miss," he said.

"Please, call me Evergreen," she replied, holding a hand out. Taking it gently, Strider kissed it and nodded before taking a seat on the ground as well.

"You all might want to catch a few hours of sleep, if possible," he said, tending the fire.

"What about you?" Cana asked as she quickly took a seat next to him. Wendy moved to his other side, leaving the others grumbling as they sat around the fire.

"I'll keep watch. Besides, I imagine Wendy and I will get enough rest as we wait for the rest of you to finish, so no worries," he chuckled.

"I'm gonna take you up on that offer," Cana said as she laid her head on his shoulder and began to doze off.

"Cana, what're you doing?" Erza asked sharply.

"Getting… comfortable," Cana yawned.

"That is unfair!" she declared.

"You should've been quicker about it," Cana said, smirking with her eyes closed.

"Ugh… wait! I know!" Erza said. Getting behind him, she leaned her back against his and dozed off. Strider let out a low laugh as he saw the other three staring daggers. With a sigh, they sat down around the fire. Strider put an arm around Wendy and pulled her a bit closer; seeing her opening, Mira shifted over to that said and squashed the young Dragon Slayer between them as she rested her head on Strider's shoulder.

"Are you uncomfortable? I'm sorry…," she whispered, caressing his arm.

"I'm fine. Get some rest," Strider said. Nodding, Mira yawned and quickly dozed off, followed by Bisca and Cana. Staring at the fire, Strider's smile soon fell. As the wisps danced and leaped, licking the air, his memories began to travel to a less peaceful time. He shuddered violently, trying to repress it as much as possible so as not to bother the others. He sighed and began to meditate, breathing as deep as he could to exert control over his mind.

-o-

"Mira… wake up," Strider said gently. The white haired beauty slowly roused awake, blinking multiple times. She grimaced as she saw that it was still raining, but visibility was much more improved.

"Ugh… still raining," she groaned.

"Wonderful, no?" Strider asked.

"No," she said emphatically.

"You too, Cana, Erza," Strider said.

"Mmm… five more minutes," Cana said as she snuggled closer to him.

"The faster you wake up, the faster you can sleep uninterrupted. You guys are almost at the halfway point," Strider said. Looking up, she saw that they were in the shadow of the mountain. Grumbling, she got to her feet and began to stretch.

"Ugh… hairs all wet and clumpy," she said, trying to sort it out. As she worked that out, Mira woke Bisca and Evergreen. Erza had already sprung up, ready to go.

"Let's continue! Thank you for serving as a bed, Strider!" Erza said as she was off to the races.

"Indeed, thank you for the cover," Evergreen said, following. Giving him a sweet smile and a wave, Bisca, and Cana followed.

"Thanks," Mira whispered, hugging him. Strider smiled at the touch and nodded, watching them go before he looked down; Wendy was still asleep.

"Hey, Wendy. It's time for us to get moving," he whispered.

"Mmm…'kay," she said, rubbing her eyes as she got up.

"Keep the cloak on, alright? Should keep you warm," he said gently.

"Thanks, Strider," she said, smiling at him.

"Not at all," Strider said, getting on his board. Wendy got on hers, Carla on her head, and the trio were soon racing towards the finish.

-o-

"Wow. These two are still out cold, huh? It's almost impressive, to be honest," Strider said, pausing to observe Gray and Natsu. Both had knocked each other out and were now comfortably sleeping, blissfully unaware of the race around them.

"Should we wake them up?" Wendy asked uncertainly.

"Certainly not! It's their fault, after all!" Carla sighed.

"I'm torn myself. On one hand, I don't want them to get punished. On the other hand, how will they ever learn?" Strider asked rhetorically. He thought about it and sighed. "They can't say I don't look out for them…," he trailed off as he roused them both with a short telekinetic burst to their heads.

"ARE WE UNDER ATTACK?!" Natsu roared, springing to life.

"LET ME AT THEM!" Gray shouted.

"Not under attack, but you two are currently vying for dead last. Some of the guys just overtook you a little while ago. You better hurry, if you want to avoid punishment," Carla informed them. Looks of horror crossed their faces before Natsu and Gray suddenly shot off towards the mountain at a speed that would leave the Worlds Fastest Man flabbergasted. Strider heard their faint shouts of thanks before he chuckled and turned towards the finish line yet again.

-o-

"I can't believe we made it!" Lucy said, punching the air in excitement. To her significant surprise, she had done far better than she had expected. Thanks to the rain slowing everyone down, as well as her Celestial Spirit, she was on her way back. Reaching the base of the mountain, she came across the gigantic bunny that was Lisanna, sniffing the air as she thought of a way up.

"Wow, you're doing really well, Lucy!" Lisanna chirped.

"Don't sound so surprised. Wait - Happy, is that you?" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Aye! Lisanna's giving me a ride!" Happy said.

"What about Natsu?" Lucy inquired.

"I think he and Gray woke up. Look back there," Lisanna giggled. Kicking themselves into overdrive, Natsu and Gray were soon caught up with the rest of the girls.

"WATCH ME GET UP THERE FIRST, SNOW STRIPPER!" Natsu yelled as he quickly hopped over Lisanna and began to scale.

"NOT A CHANCE, FLAMEBRAIN!" Gray roared, doing the same. As the five beauties congregated with Lucy and Lisanna, they sweatdropped.

"Those idiots…," Erza sighed.

"NO CHANCE YOU TWO ARE BEATING ME!" entered another voice. Gajeel quickly smashed the ground with two massive iron rods and leapfrogged over both Natsu and Gray and began to scale. The two didn't take too kindly to that and all three were soon neck and neck.

"Huh. Where's Jet, by the way?" Mira inquired.

-o-

Jet was still asleep under a tree.

-o-

"No idea. You girls better get the scales quick, though. See ya!" Lucy waved as she and Taurus took their leave.

-o-

"Ha! Well done, my boy!" Makarov said with a grin as Strider, Wendy, and Carla crossed the finish line at the same time.

"A three-way tie for first! Congrats!" Kinana said.

"Thanks, Kinana!" Wendy chirped as she sat down with a piping hot mug of coffee. She blanched at the taste, eliciting a laugh from Strider who passed her his cup.

"Hot chocolate might be better suited for you, Wendy," he said, exchanging cups. He took a hearty swig of coffee and exhaled in exaltation as he let the drink warm his limbs.

"I thought Jet was going to win this time again, to be honest," Makarov said.

"I think he might still be asleep, Master. I hope not, at least. Otherwise, this might not go his way," Strider said.

"Didn't think to wake him?" Makarov wondered.

"Thought about it, but forgot to. Plus, it was raining so hard, we had to make shelter. I did wake Natsu and Gray, though; I believe they should've reached the top by now," Strider said.

"No doubt the others will begin to come back soon. This rain is quite interesting, though. I can't remember a time where it's poured so hard," Makarov said contemplatively as he looked up.

"Do you suspect something, sir?" Strider asked, frowning.

"I can't be sure yet. Do you have events like this back home?" Makarov asked.

"None that I recall. I suppose it wouldn't be surprising if something existed that _could_ change the weather, though," Strider said.

"That wouldn't surprise you?" Makarov asked.

"Even as far as I've gone, I've seen very little of the world, sir. I'm certain something like that could exist. Whether that's the case here, however, I can't say," Strider said.

"Mmm, indeed. It's good to have a worldly view," Makarov said.

-o-

"Those three buffoons," Erza sighed as she and her group were on the way back.

"It's kind of adorable," Mira giggled.

"You think everything's adorable, Mira. You can't be so easy on them, though!" Erza chided.

"Look at it like this: at least we know we won't come in last," she shrugged.

"… Perhaps you're on to something here," Erza said thoughtfully. Chancing a look behind, she saw several explosions - Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray were locked in a battle, the importance of their pride overtaking their fear of Master Makarov's punishment.

"Can't wait to see what Master has in store for them," Bisca smirked.

"At this point, you might want to worry about Alzack," Cana said slyly. Bisca sighed and shook her head.

"Come on - you two are both gunslingers!" Mira added.

"He's just a good friend," Bisca shrugged.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Cana added.

"It appears as though Bisca has her sights set on a new member of our guild," Evergreen said loftily.

"Oh yeah? What about you and Elfman?" Bisca wondered. Evergreen blushed at the suggestion.

"As if! Not in a hundred years," she said.

"Hey! That's my brother you're rejecting," Mira said, although she didn't seem to mind.

"I understand you love him, Mirajane. But you cannot deny that when it comes to women, he isn't exactly Prince Charming," Evergreen said. Mira mumbled; she couldn't deny that.

"Enough talk about that - how much longer do we have to go?" Bisca asked.

"Not too long at this rate. I don't think we'll be subject to the punishment," Erza said with a smirk.

"Oh, I feel bad for the guys that are gonna be in last place," Mira giggled.

"Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray for sure. Maybe Jet if he's still asleep," Cana said.

"Perhaps we should've woken him… oh well," Erza chirped.

-o-

"Lucy, you just missed it!" Strider said excitedly.

"Hmm? What?" Lucy wondered as she handed the Wyvern Scale to Makarov and approached him.

"Lisanna! She was this… humongous rabbit!" Strider exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah - her Transformation. It's pretty adorable, huh?" Lucy giggled.

"I'll say. I've never seen anything like that before," he said, giddy with joy.

"Is she here? She was behind me for a bit, but leaped over a little while ago," Lucy sighed.

"Yeah, she's in the guild hall. You might want to head over as well; you seem fairly cold. Here," Strider said, waving his fingers over her. Immediately, the rain began to part.

"Thanks," she said graciously.

"No problem," Strider nodded.

-o-

"Ladies. Good to see you again," Strider said, greeting Erza, Mira, Bisca, Evergreen, and Cana. They smiled and presented the Scales to Makarov, who accepted them with a nod.

"Thanks. Kinana, how're you doing with the weather?" Mira asked. Strider noted the worry in her voice; Mirajane was extremely caring about her guildmates, he thought.

"I'm fine, Mira. It's you guys that I'm worried about. Master Makarov should've postponed the race," Kinana sighed.

"Not a chance! Besides, you don't get a better view than with the rain, eh my boy?!" Makarov deviously asked Strider. The new Fairy winked at him. As the girls looked at him with curiosity, he sighed.

"You ladies might want to consider changing into something a bit more… what's the word? Conservative, perhaps? Or, at the very least, put a jacket on," Strider said.

"What do-," Evergreen wondered before looking down. She blushed as deep red; her thin, green shirt clung tightly to her body, sopping wet and flaunting her seductive curves. The others were in the same boat, save for Cana who always dressed in an outgoing fashion. Their state of dress left little to the imagination, he thought.

"Master…," Mira said, her She-Devil aura beginning to come to ahead. Makarov gulped.

"Blame him!" he shouted, pointing at Strider.

"Ah, but why me? After all, we were all fairly warm for a while. Master Makarov deserves your ire for making you run in this weather," Strider said, winking at the old man who grumbled. The girls seemed to agree; turning their gazes on Master Makarov, he made a quick escape.

"Ugh… that old pervert," Evergreen sighed.

"Indeed," Strider said.

"Like you have room to talk!" she retorted.

"I did my best to avert my eyes. Things like this are better discussed in private," Strider smirked. Evergreen blushed again before heading towards the guild.

"Ugh… see you later. I'ma go change," Mira said. He nodded and watched her leave with Erza and Bisca.

"You're not gonna join them, Cana?" he wondered.

"I'm not as prudish," she smirked.

"If you say so," Strider said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, closing the distance between them. She was a few inches away, looking up at his face.

"All I know is that we could've had some fun the night before last," he said with a grin.

"I'm not a prude - doesn't mean I'm easy," she said, her voice dropping a bit.

"A challenge?" he wondered.

"If you're up to it," she replied.

"Always," he whispered back. As they stared at each other, they heard Carla let out an audible cough. Turning, they saw a blood red Wendy and Kinana. Strider sheepishly rubbed his head while Cana blushed; she didn't want Wendy - or anyone - to see that kind of stuff; it was much better done in private. Smiling at Strider, she finally excused herself as well.

"It appears you are trouble," Carla said, levitating to Striders' shoulder.

"I've heard that one before," he murmured.

-o-

"Welcome back Laki, Levy, Juvia," Kinana chirped.

"Hey… Kinana… are… we… last…?" Levy panted.

"Nope. You guys are doing really well, actually. Lucy's inside already, in case you were wondering," Kinana said. Levy and Lucy were extremely quick to make friends, each helping the other out constantly.

"Thanks…," Levy said as she plodded towards the guild, handing her Scale to Makarov.

"You don't have to wait around, Strider. You must be cold as well," Kinana said.

"Nah. I like this kind of weather. But I figure you could use some company. Thank you for the concern, though," he said, flashing her a charming smile. Kinana blushed slightly but returned it and nodded.

"What's the supposed to mean?! I am good company!" Makarov said.

"I know, sir. But apparently you left Kinana alone for a little while to get some sleep," Strider said with a chuckle. The old man grumbled but didn't deny it; Kinana just giggled before drawing slightly closer to Strider for warmth.

"Where is my darling?" Juvia asked fearfully.

"Fighting with Natsu, no doubt," Strider said.

"I shall await him here!" Juvia declared.

-o-

More and more people were beginning to trickle.

"THIS IS HOW A REAL MAN FINISHES!" Elfman said.

"Mira and Lisanna are waiting inside for you," Kinana said, deflating his ego.

"Did Levy see me win?!" Droy asked excitedly.

"She's inside. It's really cold out here. Haven't seen Jet, though," Kinana said, figuring the next part of his question.

"How do you like your old man now, kiddo?!" Macao asked, calling out to his son, Romeo.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Macao - I don't think Romeo's here," Kinana said. Grumbling along with his best friend Wakaba, they slumped over to the guild; close in tow were Max, Vijeeter, Warren, Alzack, Reedus, and Nab.

"I'm surprised Bixlow and Freed - oh no, never mind; here they come now," Kinana said, spotting the armor wearing knight with his tongue hanging out and the green haired, well dressed, male version of Evergreen.

"You two aren't looking too good," Strider noted.

"Ugh… this guy wanted to race so badly, so I gave him one. How was I supposed to know he didn't want to use magic?!" Bixlow groaned.

"You imbecile…," Freed retorted as they made their way to the guild as well.

"That just leaves… Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Jet," Kinana said.

"Jet was asleep; Natsu and Gray were both knocked out… not sure what Gajeel's reasoning is, though. I suppose Iron does weigh a lot more, though," Strider said.

"I think he might've been distracted with fighting some of the larger animals in the forest, to be honest," Kinana giggled.

"Ha. Oh, look, here they come! I can't think of anything else that would be so explosive so close to the town," Strider said.

Off in the distance, iron, fire, ice, and wind was flapping and fluttering, engaging with the other elements in a ferocious battle. Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, and Jet were all vying to not be last; trying to trip up their opponents.

"NO WAY AM I GONNA BE LAST! EAT MY DUST, BITCHES!" Jet roared as he pulled an inch behind.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Gajeel yelled gruffly, pulling him back.

"GET OUTTA MY WAY, NATSU!" Gray screamed at his teammate.

"YOUR WAY?! YOU GET OUTTA MINE!" Natsu yelled back. With each second that passed, they overtook each other.

"GAJEEL, I'VE AN IDEA! THROW ME!" Lily shouted.

"WHAT?! WHY?!" Gajeel asked.

"TRUST ME ON THIS" Lily replied.

"FINE!" Gajeel said, taking a little jump, he pelted Lily directly at Strider. The Exceed zipped over the finish line, caught effortlessly by the new Fairy.

"Thanks for that," Lily said appreciatively, holding on tightly to his Scale.

"Not a problem. Excellent play there," Strider said.

"Thought you'd like that. Here you go, Master," Lily said, handing it over to a laughing Makarov.

"WHAT THE - YOU DAMN FURBALL!" Gajeel screamed comically. The four continued to put as much effort as possible into the final stretch before they each took a leap. Strider watched carefully as each of them passed over the finish line and presented their Scale to Makarov at the exact same time, down to the millisecond.

"This is perfect!" Makarov said.

"What?! I did it, right Master?" Jet asked.

"No, it was me!" Gajeel yelled.

"No way! I was here first!" Natsu replied.

"NO, I WAS!" Gray yelled at him.

"Actually, you all got here at the same time. Which means that this year, we have not one, not two, not three, but _four losers_! I couldn't have asked for a better result!" Makarov said, grinning evilly at the four, who blanched. Laughing, Strider and Kinana made their way back to the guild, both curious to see what would happen next.

-o-

"Well, first I think I'll congratulate the three that tied for first place! Strider, Wendy, and Carla - three of the newest additions to our family!" Makarov yelled. The guild erupted in applause for the three; Strider smiled and waved back while Wendy blushed at the attention.

"Congratulations," Mira whispered to Strider.

"Thank you," he said, winking back at her.

"But more importantly than that, we have _four_ losers! Please welcome the ladies Natsue, Grayfia, Jetty, and… Gajeelia?" Makarov said. The curtains behind him whipped open revealing the hilariously cross-dressed Dragon Slayers, Ice-Make Wizard, and Speed Mage. Gajeel had dressed as a maid, while Natsu was wearing bunny ears, a red tank top, and stockings; Gray wore a pink frilly suit, and finally Jet was wearing a kimono - all of the, with varying shades of makeup.

"Ah. This must be what cruel and unusual punishment is like in this country," said a bewildered Strider.

"They don't do this where you're from?" Mira asked with a laugh.

"Regrettably not. Seeing it, I certainly wish we did," Strider said, joining in on the laugh. The four continued to strike poses for the amusement of their friends, all of whom cheered them on.

-o-

As the ruckus in the guild died down, everyone began filing back home - scurrying hither and thither under the relentlessly inclement weather. Strider sighed; he was planning on looking for a new place, but that would likely have to wait; many wouldn't share his point of view on the rain.

"Ugh… all this rain… so depressing…," Gray complained. Strider's eyes trailed to Juvia, who looked down at the ground, obviously upset by the comment. Gray didn't seem to notice; he took his leave with Natsu. No one else seemed to notice as well; quietly, Juvia slipped out. Sighing, Strider quickly followed.

-o-

"Juvia?" he called out to her.

"Hmm?" she hummed in a pained voice.

"Are you alright? You seemed upset as you left," Strider said, walking alongside her towards the path to Fairy Hills.

"I am fine," she said shortly.

"Are you sure?" he asked. She opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, shifting uncomfortably.

"My beloved loathes the rain. I am the rain. He loathes me," she said.

"I don't think that's quite accurate. I think it was just a… random comment," Strider said.

"Everyone else shares his opinion. No one likes the rain. Except for me," Juvia said.

"That's not quite true. I, for one, enjoy the rain immensely," Strider said. She looked at him, tilting her head as though trying to place his presence.

"Why?" she wondered.

"I dunno. Always liked it. It washes away the old and ushers in the new, I suppose," Strider said.

"Washes away the old and ushers in the new?" she repeated quizzically.

"Yeah. Hmm… that is to say that it leaves a fresh feeling behind. I'm fine with any kind of weather, but there's something special about the rain… something that I'm partial to. Maybe it's the petrichor, but it's mostly the feeling of freshness during and after," Strider said, breathing deeply.

"The rain doesn't bother you, then?" she asked.

"Nope," he replied.

"I… see…," she trailed off.

"And I'm sure it doesn't bother Gray, either. If it does, don't worry about it. There's plenty of people that love the rain," Strider said warmly.

"… Thank you," Juvia said.

"Not at all. I'll see you tomorrow, Juvia," he said, turning to head towards the guild.

"Strider!" she suddenly said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"Could you continue to escort me to the threshold of Fairy Hills?" she asked.

"Sure, I don't mind," Strider said, smiling. He had a feeling that she wanted to make sure he was alright with the rain as he said he was.

-o-

"What is the climate like where you're from?" she asked.

"Hmm… a bit of everything. Usually cloudy or partially cloudy, with a fair amount of sun in some areas. Others are almost entirely in twilight on a constant basis; we have a lot of cloud cover. A lot of rain as well. What about here?" he wondered.

"Mostly sunny. We don't often have a lot of rain, but the last few days have been severe. It's a nice change, I think; although most don't see it that way," Juvia sighed sadly.

"Their loss. Who knows, though? Maybe they'll come around," he said encouragingly.

"Perhaps," she replied.

"I do have a personal question if you don't mind," Strider said.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Erza mentioned that you and Gajeel were enemies of Fairy Tail at one point. I'm curious as to what's happened?" he wondered.

"He and I were part of a rival guild known as Phantom Lord - two of their elites. The guilds were at war with each other… a war that we started. You see, Phantom Lord preceded Fairy Tail in terms of foundation; but when it was established, Fairy Tail quickly became the strongest guild in Fiore. Our master was always… eager to start a fight with them. Eventually, we did and couldn't go back. Gajeel and Natsu were especially ferocious against each other, and I was an S-Class Mage in Phantom Lord. Granted, it might've turned out far differently had Fairy Tail's strongest wizards been there - Gildarts and Laxus in particular. But… sorry, I trailed off. We started a fight with them. Eventually, they came back and proved to be dominant. In my case, it was love at first sight with Gray. I simply had no will to fight him, although we… scuffled for a little bit. Eventually, their master beat ours and he welcomed Gajeel and I with open arms," Juvia said, ending with a fond smile.

"I see. That's quite interesting…," Strider said, pondering her answer.

"You were a soldier, as you said. I'm sure you've seen many people defect," Juvia said.

"I've never seen anyone defect," Strider said quietly.

"Really?" she asked in surprise.

"Indeed. I suppose it works differently for us. But… I'm happy to see it's possible," Strider said.

"Oh… we're here," she suddenly said in surprise. They were in front of the Fairy Hills main entrance. Two large wooden doors separated the rainy outside from the warm hearth inside.

"Best I not come in, I think. Almost got Cana in trouble last time. But it was nice to speak with you, Juvia. Let's do this again soon," Strider said, giving her a warm smile before heading back towards the guild. She watched him go with a smile on her face before entering. From the windows, Bisca, Cana, and Erza observed with narrowed eyes.

-o-

"That was sweet of you," Mira said as Strider came back in.

"Hmm? What was?" he wondered, shaking some water off.

"Walking Juvia back home," she said.

"Oh. Yeah. She's a great girl," he said.

"Careful. You might be spreading yourself too thin," Mira said teasingly.

"I don't think so. I'm a lover if I do say so myself," he said with a smirk, raising his right hand and waving it; he quickly cleared, cleaned, and set the tables and chairs.

"Thanks," Mira said, giving him a hug as she walked around the counter.

"Not at all. I figure that after the race, all you want to do now is get a nice and warm rest," Strider said.

"Definitely. Although this is pretty nice and warm as well," Mira said.

"Then stay with me for the night," Strider said, resting his hands on her lower back and pulling her in a bit closer. He smiled inwardly as he figured that she had gone a deep shade of red.

"I…I… really ought to…," she stammered.

"You really ought to stay with me tonight?" he wondered.

"No…well.. may… no… ye….no," she said, unable to get a single, clear answer out.

"My loss, I suppose," Strider said, letting her go and taking off his cloak. She held it tight as he put it around her, chancing a look in his eyes. The battle raged on in her head. Finally, she decided on her answer.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said softly, leaning up and kissing him on the cheek.

"Sure. Sweet dreams, Mira," he said, wrapping his cloak around her before heading to his room.

"Sweet dreams, Strider," she said quietly. Smiling warmly at the spot he stood in, she headed home as well.


	5. The Next Job

"We should really go on a job soon," Lucy grumbled. It had been a couple of weeks since the Valmar job and her coffers were dwindling for the umpteenth time.

"Rent troubles again?" Strider inquired.

"Yeah!" Lucy nodded vigorously.

"Your rent is 70,000 jewel a month. You made close to 2,600,000 jewels the last job. If you focused on spending that jewel _just_ on rent, you'd be set for three years. Even with frivolities, you should be held over for a while," Strider said.

"But it's not like I spend the jewel on myself!" Lucy whined.

"What do you mean? What happened to the money?" Strider asked in interest.

"Natsu and Gray!" Lucy said, pointing at the two.

"What?! What'd we do?!" they asked in unison.

"Every time you guys break something, we all have to pay for it. Ugh… we need a really big job," she grumbled.

"Don't worry. I'll help keep them in line from now on," Strider chuckled, going behind Lucy and massaging her shoulders gently. She let out an exalted sigh before blushing a deep red.

"OHCRAPIHAVETOGODOSOMETHINGSORRYSTRIDERTHANKSFORTHEMASSAGEMAYBELATERPEACEOUT!" she said in one breath before rushing out, leaving a chuckling Strider in her wake.

"Loke's gonna be jealous. He always tries to hit on her but usually ends up crashing and burning," Cana said as Strider approached the bar.

"Loke?" he wondered.

"One of her Celestial Spirits. He's a full-fledged member of the guild as well, though," Cana said.

"Interesting. How does that work?" Strider asked.

"Ah… you'll have to ask Lucy and Loke about that. It's kind of a personal thing," Cana said grimly.

"I see. Well, she's bound to realize that she's not exactly dressed for this weather sooner or later. Give it… oh, maybe fifteen minutes until she comes back," Strider said.

"Fifteen? Don't you think that's a bit much?" Cana giggled.

"For most, yes. Lucy seems to be a bit more… boisterous, shall we say… than others. I think fifteen minutes is the sweet spot. I suppose I'll look for a job until then," Strider sighed.

"Wait, if she's paying for the damage that Natsu and Gray did, why aren't you?" Mira asked, cleaning the bar down.

"That was before my joining, I suppose. They didn't consult me about it, at the very least. Perhaps Erza doesn't find it fair. It seems she's the one that makes the decisions in the group," he said, taking his leave.

"Oh, he has no idea. I wonder if Erza will be able to whip him?" Cana wondered.

"She might've met her match. It's good they have another adult on the team, though. Takes some of the load off of Wendy," Mira sighed.

"Don't you mean Erza?" Cana asked.

"Nope. I love Erza like a sister, but sometimes she's as bad as Natsu or Gray. Wendy's the only _real_ mature one on the team," Mira giggled.

"Except when she's falling," Cana said, hiking her thumb back; Wendy had just faceplanted, much to the everyone's amusement.

-o-

"Strider," Erza said, coming up behind him as he was scoping out the job board.

"Hello, Erza. What's up?" he wondered.

"I'd like to challenge you," she said casually.

"I'm sorry?" he asked, thinking he misheard.

"I would like to challenge you. You're obviously a capable wizard, but I want to see how you stack up against me in a fight," she said with a smile.

"Mmm… sure, why not? I'm game. Just tell me when and where," he said.

"Right now is fine with me," she said. Strider paused and nodded before cracking a smile; it was obvious that she was ready and raring to go.

"Sounds good. Let's go. Just us?" he wondered.

"Indeed," she said. Unbeknownst to them, Mira was listening close by and had her interest piqued. As Erza and Strider surreptitiously slipped outside, Mira told Cana she'd be a little while and decided to follow.

 _'Strider vs. Erza, huh? I'm actually really curious to see how this turns out,'_ she thought, keeping a distance on them.

 _'Mira thinks she's being sneaky,'_ Strider thought to himself, laughing inward. He opted not to say anything for the moment, just following Erza to their destination.

"We'll head to a clearing in the East Forest," she said.

"Sounds good to me," he nodded.

"Have you found a job yet?" she asked.

"I found one that interested me. I'll have Mira approve it once we get back to the guild. Should hold Lucy over for a good while," he said.

"Very well. And how are you liking the guild now that you've had a while to get settled in?" she asked.

"Loving it here. Quite a few new things, I've noticed. These… _things_ … that people sit in. Like carriages without the horse. They're quite amazing," Strider said.

"Are… you talking about cars and vehicles?" Erza asked.

"Perhaps. They're like… single carriage trains, I suppose, would be the best way to describe them. Look - there goes one there!" Strider said, pointing to a four door, four-wheeled, green sedan.

"Yes, that's a car. It runs on magical energy. Quite useful to traverse long distances. But… if you don't have them where you're from, how do you travel far?" Erza asked.

"Fastest transport for _me_ is flight. Otherwise, men and women back home use horses or simply walk the distance. Some have other means of transport, but none are as convenient as a car _,_ I think," Strider said.

"It's fascinating. It appears we have quite a few things you don't. But I surmise that the opposite holds true as well. Have you noticed anything you have there that we don't have?" Erza wondered.

"We have very large, open areas where man can interact freely with the wild. I haven't noted as such here yet. Our people are fairly widespread as well; residing in fortresses or small townships or beautiful and majestic cities with architecture older than we can recall. We do appear to lack the convenience you have here; although I think we might make up for it in charm. That said, this town is quite charming - as are its denizens," Strider said.

"Do you plan on going back soon?" Erza wondered.

"Easier said than done, I'm afraid," he replied.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"The journey isn't easy, by any means. I left out some of the details - such as the fact that I _did_ crash land in the Great Sea. Suffice it to say that it's clear to me why there's no interaction between the Northern and Southern Continents. I'll have to become much more adept at sustaining long-term flight before I think about crossing it again. Like I told Mira, I don't remember much of my first week here; the flight took a lot out of me," Strider said.

"I'm surprised that you're still alive, in that case," a bewildered Erza said.

"Ha. No one is more surprised than I," he said good-naturedly. Behind him, Mira frowned as she heard about his little tumble.

-o-

"This should se- MIRAJANE! What're you doing here?!" Erza yelled, spotting the beautiful white haired beauty behind Strider.

"Oh? What am I doing here? I dunno," she said in a faux-innocent voice.

"This is between him and I," Erza said sharply.

"I'm just observing," she said, putting her hands up in peace. Erza sighed in displeasure.

"I don't mind," Strider said. Mira smiled gratefully at him as she took a spot a decent distance away from them so as to not get caught in the crossfire of their attacks.

"Fine," Erza said shortly before setting her attention on her teammate.

"This should be interesting," said a sudden voice. Looking around, they saw Master Makarov approaching, smiling serenely at them.

"Master!" Erza said in surprise.

"Hello, Erza, Strider, Mira. I'm afraid you can't fool an old man like me. I hope you don't mind. I'm interested to see how this plays out," he said.

"I'm fine with it," Strider said.

"As am I," Erza nodded.

 _'Hmm… Strider vs. Erza? I wonder who's gonna win this one?'_ Mira thought, clasping her hands together underneath her chin as she looked between the two. She personally knew how powerful Erza was; but from what she had heard of Strider thus far, he was no slouch. His Telekinetic Magic seemed to be particularly powerful and wide ranged; it would no doubt trouble the S-Class Wizard.

"Ready?" Erza asked.

"I am. The first move is yours, Erza," Strider said, drawing his sword and moving into a defensive position.

Erza wasted no time in taking the gracious offer. As she Requipped into Heavens Wheel armor, Strider watched with interest. Virtually every part of the armor was created with a silver metal, with much of it shaped like feathers. She wore a small breastplate that was composed of the feather-shaped plates pointing upwards and to the side, revealing a significant portion of her breasts. A round sapphire was set in the middle of her breasts, surrounded by a petal shaped plate formation. The feathers hugged her slender build tightly, as they faded slightly away as his eyes trailed down, not at all covering her stomach. She wore pauldrons as well as a cross-hatched pattern going down her upper arms before becoming forearm guards and gloves. In either hand, she held a beautiful sword with a silver grip, white, feathery crossguard, and a silver blade. The plate skirt was far more conservative, trailing down her legs in large, dark-grey silver plates. Most magnificent, Strider thought, was the beautiful white-armored wings that came from her back, taking up quite a bit of space - a wingspan of a solid 10 feet if he had to guess. She wore a headband that had two feathered frills angled back; while her beautiful, scarlet hair cascaded down her back.

"Beautiful," he whispered, turning Erza as red as her hair. He chuckled at the response he elicited, although was pleased; while a fearsome fighter, it was good to know that Erza still acted like a girl her age when it came to the opposite sex.

Mira looked on in worry as she had an idea of what Erza was planning to do. She recalled that she had summoned two hundred swords during the fight against the Thunder Legion; she wasn't sure how Strider would stand up to half of that, or half of half of that.

To his intrigue, swords began appearing out of thin air.

"Wow…," he whispered, awestruck. As powerful as he was - as powerful as other people he knew were - he hadn't seen anything like Erza's Requip in action. Her explanation about it didn't do the versatility justice; to conjure so many weapons with the grace and seeming lack of effort she put in was a special gift.

"This is my Heavens Wheel armor. In addition to the protection, it's best suited for offense - especially against multiple or powerful enemies. I can bring out up to 200 swords, as I did a few months ago; although, that takes concentration and a lot of effort. My sweet spot is around one hundred; you will face them all now," Erza said confidently. True to her word, the number of swords added up to one hundred.

"That's amazing. The swords are kept in a pocket dimension, then?" Strider asked.

"How did you know that?" she asked in surprise; Mira and Makarov were just as surprised by the accurate assumption.

"While I don't know the exact mechanics of Requip, I think it's safe to assume you have to store the armor somewhere. Creating it on the spot would take time, effort, and energy. A pocket dimension is a great way to keep it stored for use when and where you need it. That particular brand of Magic, I'm aware of. I believe Bisca mentioned that she stores her own guns in one as well," Strider said. He began to think of ways to counteract her attack.

"Hmm… astute observation. Yes, I keep them in a pocket dimension. I can call upon them any time to Requip," Erza nodded.

"So many swords… seems like overkill," Mirajane said worriedly.

"Perhaps. But I'm confident that Erza has thought the number through. Let's see how Strider deals with this," Makarov said.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GUYS LEFT US BEHIND!" came Natsu's voice as he entered through a clearing with Happy, Gray, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla.

"What're you all doing here?!" Erza asked, exasperated.

"WE'VE GOTTA SEE THIS TOO!" Gray said, crossing his arms over his bare chest and observing.

"You appear to have forgotten your shirt, Gray," an amused Strider noted.

"Wha - OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" the Ice-Make Wizard groaned. Strider raised an eyebrow at Mira who smiled and shook her head. Shrugging, he turned back to Erza.

"LET'S GO ERZA! LET'S GO STRIDER!" Lucy cheered for both of them.

"Typically, you choose one," Carla said.

"But they're both my teammates! I can't choose just one!" Lucy whined.

"Enough distractions. Are you ready?" Erza asked Strider.

"Go for it," he said, concentrating his focus.

The swords began to circle menacingly through the air before she launched all of them at Strider at the same time. But just as suddenly, they immediately stopped in the air as Strider held his hand out to them, relaxing his sword in the other. The immediate stop took Erza by surprise as she began to try and force the swords through.

 _'I see. He has a telekinetic grip on my swords. That's quite interesting,'_ she thought. It was always the case that only she was able to use her weapons; they simply wouldn't react to anyone else touch. But in this case, it was magic that hindered them. Suddenly, she felt a pull on her swords; Strider and she were now vying for control of the many blades. The others noted the same thing; the swords went towards Strider before pulling towards Erza again. The movement continued for a little until Strider suddenly wrenched them with a vicious force. Erza stumbled forward from the pull of his telekinetic grip. As she looked up, she saw that her swords were now trained on her. Immediately, she Requipped into a new set of armor. With her Heavens Wheel armor stored away, the swords disappeared as well.

"Interesting. I don't ever recall seeing her have _that_ problem before," Makarov said thoughtfully.

"Me neither. I think he just _might_ be at the S-Class level," Mira observed.

"YEAH STRIDER! GET VENGEANCE FOR ALL THE TIME SHE BEAT NATSU AND GRAY!" Happy shouted excitedly. He shivered as Erza turned her gaze to him. The stark black armor that she wore added to her fearsome persona.

She wore a spiked, black breastplate that covered her completely, only a little bit of skin showing towards the top. Her arms were completely covered in the same material, although had a bluish-grey trim along the sides. She wore leg armor that came all the up her thighs, visible only through two small slits at the highest part. She wielded a massive, jagged blade in her hands, as tall as she was.

"That's quite menacing," Strider noted. As he ended, Erza launched forward at an immense speed, intent on finishing the match quickly. Getting his sword comfortable in his hand, Strider waited for her to get a little closer before he locked it with hers. The two were locked in a test of strength, both frowning at the other as they fought for control.

 _'My Purgatory armor should be able to break through his attack easily. Hmmm…,'_ she thought to herself. Her eyes moved from his coal-black ones and trailed down to get a good look at the sword that he wielded. It was startlingly well crafted, she noted. The blade was a stunning shade of black with what looked like gold lettering going down the length of the fuller - in a language that she did not understand. The point was sharper than any sword she recalled seeing, with either edge equidistant from the fuller. The guard curved ever so slightly upwards, ending in a rounded edge. The grip was a smooth matte black and the pommel a perfect circle with a black stone set in it. Strider saw her admiring the sword and used the momentary lapse of concentration to his advantage. He easily pushed her off, her sword hanging slightly above her head. Deciding to put his own to good use, he suddenly slashed his sword through the air and connected viciously with hers. Like a hot knife through butter, his sword cut Erza's own in twain. She was shocked by the event as Strider reared back a bit, relaxing his grip and observing what her next move would be.

"How did you do that?!" she asked, looking at both pieces. As powerful as opponents she had fought were, this was the first time she could recall in which a piece of her armor was destroyed in such a fashion.

"Magic," Strider offered, eliciting a deadpan glance from her.

"Woah! That's awesome!" Natsu said excitedly.

"HE CUT HER SWORD! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?!" Happy asked in a panic.

"It's quite interesting. I don't think that's ever happened before," Mira said thoughtfully, doing well in concealing her own shock.

"It hasn't. Wow. That's insane," Lucy said.

Her weapon now useless, Erza had no choice but to Requip yet again. As close-combat didn't seem to be working, she moved into her Archer Armor. Her hair was done in two rose-shaped buns and she wore a white qipao with a red trim and red ribbon around her waist; with two slits going down either leg, revealing her thighs. She wore white thigh high socks and black sandals and balanced a beautiful bow in her hands. It had a blue grip and golden feathers along the limb and back, with either tip ending in a point. Stride noted that she held just a single arrow in her hands and had no quiver. Strider noted that the arrow began to glow an electric blue; she appeared to be charging the attack. He raised his sword above his head and waited for her to attack. As she let the arrow fly, it whistled towards him. Using his magic, he slowed it down and brought his sword down, splitting it in two. To his surprise, each side flew into a tree and destroyed them completely.

 _'Wow. Good thing I didn't let her hit me with it,'_ he thought, looking back at Erza. She bit her lip, wondering what her next move should be. She next changed into her Flight Armor. She wore cheetah ears and a cheetah bra, a green skirt covering just her backside, long purple gloves, and thigh high socks, and boots made of a soft, grayish material. She held a sword in her hands and launched at Strider with an astonishing speed.

 _'It appears as though speed might be the right way to go on this,'_ she thought, rushing him.

 _'I wonder why she didn't use this armor for the race? It appears to make her agile,'_ Strider thought. As she approached, Strider held his right hand up and stopped her in her tracks. Erza felt as though an invisible force and wrapped itself around her body, keeping her rooted to the spot. Wrenching his hand back, Erza suddenly flew at Strider - without her permission. She appeared to be on a collision course before she suddenly stopped a foot from him. He brought his sword up to her neck and smiled.

"Yield," was all he said. Erza didn't immediately reply. She began to squirm around, trying to get loose of the invisible force. After several tense seconds, however, she found that wouldn't be the case. She sighed in discontent before looking at him again.

"I yield," she said. Immediately, he dropped her to the ground. Landing deftly on her feet, Erza shifted into her typical Heart Kreuz armor before looking at him. She found herself unable to break away from his eyes. He had beaten her completely, deftly stopping and countering each of her attacks. Looking at him, he didn't have a single scratch. Neither did she, for that matter, although the evidence of the outcome was in front of her; he stopped her Heaven's Wheel swords, sliced through her Purgatory sword, cut through the arrow she shot at him, and then held her in place despite her speed. While her magic offered her countless benefits, it lacked the immediate benefit and impact of his telekinesis.

"That might be one of the most one-sided fights I've ever participated in," she finally said.

"Nonetheless, you're a powerful opponent. I don't think I've ever met someone with such a versatile array of armor and weapons - certainly not anyone that can shift between them so easily and effectively. I do have quite a bit of training, however," he said, his tone almost apologetic.

The others looked on with mixed expressions of shock and glee - that Erza had been defeated and that _Erza had been defeated!_ Natsu and Gray let out a cheer for Strider, while Wendy, Carla, Lucy, and Mira looked on in surprise; Makarov only looked on in intrigue.

"That magic is quite versatile," he finally said.

"Indeed it is, Master Makarov. It's why I'm so partial to it. You can do a lot when you're able to manipulate almost anything to your liking," Strider said. Makarov nodded before leading them back to the guild. Wendy, Lucy, and Carla were up ahead while Gray and Natsu were excitedly going over the match a few meters in front. Mira, Striders, and Erza followed behind them. Every once in a while, Natsu and Gray would turn to look at him and offer him a thumbs up before going back to their talk.

 _'Now Striders the man to beat!'_ they both thought, eager to take their friend on next.

"Your sword is quite amazing. How was it able to cut through mine, though? I've never experienced that," Erza said.

"Well, it's been known to do that here and there. It's an old weapon… older than I can say. It has some magical properties, one of which includes the ability to cut through other metals with ease, as well as some… creatures. It doesn't always do it, but does so often enough," Strider replied. Mira noted the evasiveness in his tone but decided not to press it for the moment. Erza nodded as she observed it.

"As odd as it sounds, I'm almost certain you were holding back," Erza said.

"Well, it's not like we were _actually_ fighting. It was just a sparring match, right? Not like we were trying to hurt each other. At least… I hope not," Strider said, narrowing his eyes in her direction. He suddenly had a feeling he misjudged the reasoning of the match.

"No… of course not. That'd just be silly," Erza said, blushing and picking up the pace.

"I can't believe it… you WERE trying to hurt me," he grumbled.

"… Just a little," she replied, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Strider!" Lucy called out.

"Yes, Lucy?" he replied.

"Let's go on a job once we're back, kay? I _really_ need to go on one soon!" she said.

"Don't worry. I've got one picked out. Should hold you over for a while," he said. Lucy smiled appreciatively at him and soon ushered Erza over to speak with her.

"Congratulations," Mira whispered to him.

"Thank you. Erza's a solid opponent. I imagine I'll be seeing more of her armor as time goes on. I'm sure she has something to stump me with," he said.

"Maybe, maybe not. You did really well against her. About the only person besides Gildarts or Laxus that could fight her like that," Mira said.

"Gildarts… Laxus. I believe I've heard of the latter," Strider said thoughtfully. He recalled Happy mentioned something about how he was partners with Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow.

"He used to lead the Thunder Legion - him, Evergreen, Freed, and Bixlow. He's also Master Makarov's grandson. He left a little while ago, though. He… had a few problems with how Fairy Tail was run and tried to take control. Natsu beat him - and he made peace with us - but he needs some time to make peace with himself," Mira said sadly.

"He attacked you guys?" Strider asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I don't think he would've… seriously hurt anyone, but it did a bit of damage. To us… the guild…," Mira trailed off.

"I see. I'm surprised you forgave him," Strider said, his voice cold.

"He's still family," Mira said defensively. Strider looked at her with a blank face before shrugging.

"I wasn't there, so I can't say. But… it appears as though you all welcomed Juvia and Gajeel with open arms. They certainly seem to be at peace here. Perhaps the idea has some merit…," he trailed off.

"What idea?" Mira asked.

"Hmm? Sorry. Just thinking out loud," Strider said.

"Anything in particular?" Mira wondered. Strider let out a deep sigh and looked at her before looking ahead.

"It's not something I've experienced before," he said softly.

"What?" she asked.

"Enemies defecting. It never happened where I'm from. We were on one side… our foes on the other. We had people make deals to protect themselves, but never - not once - did I ever see us welcome _them_ or them welcome _us_ ," Strider said. Mira gulped. In all his time at Fairy Tail so far, Strider hadn't spoken about his past beyond the initial comments on the night he arrived; this was the first she heard of him going into detail.

"Didn't you give them a chance?" she asked quietly.

"To lay down their arms? Plenty. We tried, at least," Strider said.

"And… what did they do?" she asked, slightly fearful of the answer. Strider was about to reply but was saved from doing so as Natsu and Gray suddenly pulled him forward. They began peppering him for tips on how to deal with Erza, trying to get to the bottom of his win and how they could emulate it in the future.

 _'So close to finding out a bit more. Hmm… if they're going on a job soon, though…,'_ she thought, staring at his back. It had been a while since she had been out in the field.

-o-

Making his way to the job board, Strider immediately pulled off the job that he had been considering.

 **URGENT HELPED NEEDED WITH MONSTER**

 _Our township has been terrorized by some manner of beast for the better part of the last three months. This isn't any ordinary beast; nor is it something that we can readily identify. The monster can be heard screeching from the mountains, although it hasn't made our way here yet. It's made its residence in a mining cavern where some of our townsfolk are employed - although after the attacks began, they do not go there anymore. We need help as soon as possible to slay the beast._

 ** _Location: Ondosto, in the Blue Mountains of Western Fiore_**

 ** _Reward: 35 million jewel_**

 ** _Rank: SS-Class_**

"Perfect," Strider whispered to himself. The monster in question had piqued his eye. If there one thing he knew better than the others, it was that you never woke up anything that lived in the dark, deep, and old parts of the world. Taking it to his team, they began to look it over with intrigue.

"Interesting. An SS-Class Request. I've never done one of these before," Erza said thoughtfully.

"Uhh… isn't this a bit much?" Lucy asked fretfully.

"What?! You kidding, Lucy?! Come on, we got this!" Natsu said confidently.

"I'm sure we'll be able to handle it," Strider said.

"If you say so…," Lucy said, still not sold on the idea. Then she saw the jewel signs and began to drool; that sum would hold her over for a nice, long while she thought.

"Very well. Go have Mirajane approve it," Erza said. Strider nodded and took it over to Mira, who was speaking with Master Makarov.

"An SS-Class Request?" she asked worriedly, looking to Makarov. He looked at Strider for a long while before nodding.

"Alright… hey, do you have a moment?" she asked him.

"Sure," he said. As Makarov took his leave, Mira lead over the bar.

"I was wondering if I could maybe tag along on this one?" she suggested.

"Really?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah. It's… been a while since I've been out there. Just for this one Request, I promise," Mira said.

"No need to convince me, Mira. Sure, I don't think there'll be a problem. You might want to run it by Erza really quickly, though," Strider said. Mira nodded and went on over, leaving him to roam around the guild for a bit.

"Yo, Strider!" Warren called out. He was a young man with black hair, most of it kept aside one the right side of his face. He wore a high-collared red and orange jacket, a black belt with a gold buckle tied around it; as well as white pants and black shoes.

"Warren! Hello. A gift for you, by the way," Strider said, pulling a satchel from his cloak. He tossed it to the Telepath who looked on in surprise and weighed it; there was quite a few jewel in it.

"What's this for?" he inquired.

"For the lessons you've given me. It's not often that I find a skill as amazing as yours. Thank you," Strider said graciously.

"Not at all, man. Have you been practicing?" Warren asked. Strider smirked as he replied.

 _'I have. Short bursts,'_ he thought. Warren grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

 _'Nice. That's how you start!'_ he replied.

"Those lessons have been ridiculously helpful. I can't wait to adapt it further," Strider said.

"I'm honestly surprised you picked up my magic so quickly. People _can_ usually learn two or three different styles, but I don't think it happens in the span of a week," Warren said.

"It's probably because my telekinesis already uses a considerable amount of focus and thought. The foundation is already there; I just needed to build on it. If you wanted, I think you could learn my magic fairly easily as well. I'm happy to offer you lessons, should you wish," Strider said.

"Hmm… maybe. I'll think about it. I'm still trying to completely control my own powers," Warren sighed.

"I've no doubt you'll get there. Telepathy… that might be one of the most versatile magics I can think of," Strider said.

"Warren, let's grab something to eat!" Max yelled out.

"Later, Strider," Warren said, following his friend out. Strider nodded before continuing along. He smiled as he came across Cana, who offered him a drink as she usually did now.

"Hey there. Happy to see that you're still around. Thought Natsu or Gray would've annoyed you into leaving by now," she said.

"Na, they're good guys. Besides, such beautiful company - why would anyone want to leave?" he wondered.

"It's happened," she replied.

"Fools - the lot of them," Strider said.

"How're you liking your team?" she asked.

"Loving it so far. Got our next job picked out. That reminds me to ask… are you not on a team?" he wondered.

"Na. I prefer to play it solo," she said.

"Any particular reason?" Strider asked.

"Mmm… not really. It's just how I've always been. Don't get me wrong - I love the guys and girls here like family. It's just… I dunno. I never went on a team mission before," Cana said.

"Perhaps you'd like to join us? Mira is, after all," Strider said.

"Really?" Cana asked in surprise.

"Yup," Strider said.

"Hmm… it's tempting. But no, I don't think so… at least not yet," Cana said, uneasy as she answered.

"It's a standing offer. If you want me to tag along sometimes, all you have to do is ask," Strider said.

"Thanks for the offer," she said, smiling.

"Anytime. Now… shall we get drunk?" he wondered.

"Thought you'd never ask," she said. They clinked their mugs and downed them in a few gulps, grinning as they ended.

-o-

"Erza gave me the go-ahead," Mira said as Strider again finished the cleaning in her stead.

"Wonderful. We leave in the morning, I believe," he said.

"Yup. A long ride, but I think the train pulls right into the town we're supposed to be in," she said.

"I'm wondering what this monster is like," Strider said.

"If we fight it in that cavern, it might have the advantage. We should probably try to draw it out into the open," Mira said.

"Maybe. Depends on a few things. It might not leave the cavern in any case. The flyer mentioned that the attacks have all been centered there. I think it's more of a case of it defending its territory. If I can Tame it with my magic, that'd be preferable," Strider said.

"Mmm… we'll see when we get there, I guess," Mira said. She smiled and blushed as he put his cloak around her yet again.

"This jacket is pretty comfortable, you know. Plus I have an umbrella," she said softly.

"Maybe. But I don't think it's as comfortable as my cloak," he said.

"That's true. It's comfortable enough, though," she said.

"I don't mind," he said. She smiled and nodded before leaning up and kissing him on the cheek as thanks.

"Good night," she whispered before taking her leave; while he went to his room.

-o-

Team Natsu + Mira were back on the train far too quick for Natsu's taste. Wendy quickly cast Troia on him, although that did nothing to relieve his grumbling.

"Not… again. Can't… we walk there?" he asked his team.

"We could, but it'd take weeks," Erza said.

"That's cool with me!" Natsu said, excited by the prospect.

"Absolutely not," Erza sighed in discontent.

"Do you guys have any idea what this could be?" Wendy wondered.

"Not really. It's quite exciting, honestly," Strider said.

"I've no idea either," Erza said.

"Do we have anything idea of what we should do when we get there? Or… are we just gonna wing it or something?" Lucy asked tentatively.

"Hmm… it makes its home in a cavern. They're usually cold and damp, and it appears this one doesn't get much sun. Fire attacks might be the best way to go about it," Strider said, nodding at Natsu.

"ALRIGHT! I'M ALL FIRED UP NOW!" Natsu said, cackling madly.

"Keep it down. We're not even there yet," Gray grumbled.

"So, Strider. Erza mentioned that you bought a little something on your last job," Mira said, sitting across from him.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Valmar Keep. It's a fortress near the town where we had our last job," Strider said absentmindedly.

"Wait - you bought the fortress? But why?!" Wendy Exclaimed.

"Well, it reminded me of home. We have a lot of fortifications just like it spread throughout the land. The architecture itself is strikingly similar, so I want to do a bit more research on it as well as try to restore. Putting down roots, if you will," Strider said.

"But… a fortress? Couldn't you do that with a house or apartment?" Carla wondered.

"I guess, but it doesn't have the same flavor as a fortress. It'll probably take a while until it's finally ready, though," he sighed.

"I'll say… planning, sourcing the material, building the thing. Not to mention the town is still a ways away. But… if you wish too, I see no problem with it," Carla sighed.

"Would you really want to live there, though? It seems so… out of the way," Lucy said.

"A home away from home, then. I found the town to be quite peaceful and soothing. I certainly wouldn't mind being able to get away there from time to time. My own place on the edge of the Great Sea… sounds like paradise," Strider said distantly, looking out a window.

"That it is," Erza agreed softly. Thinking back, Valmar was one of the most peaceful places she could remember visiting. Despite the inclement weather, the waves gently lapped against the shore and the rocks, never rising too high or approaching the town itself. The rolling hills were a sea of green unto themselves and the buildings had a quality she hadn't seen before. Now that Strider had a piece of his own there, it would provide the perfect reason to visit.

"You should probably start looking for an apartment soon, now that you can afford it," Mira said.

"I'm enjoying staying at the guild, to be honest. Plus, it doesn't seem as though anyones been too eager to go out shopping or showing off places in this weather," Strider said, nodding to the rain. A flash of lightning suddenly ignited the sky, forcing some of them to shield their eyes.

"I can't believe it's still going on. We've never had this much rain before. It's weird," Gray said gloomily.

"Might as well enjoy it while it lasts. I suppose it _is_ a nice departure from the heat. That said, I hope it lets up soon," Lucy sighed. She had gotten wetter over the last couple of weeks than she could ever remember.

-o-

The team disembarked and began walking the short distance to the town, which was nestled in the snow-capped mountains. A fresh layer seemed to have fallen; looking ahead, they could make out the steam rising out of chimneys in the chilly town. Halfway through to the city hall building, they got their first hint of what they'd be facing.

A loud and guttural screech rang out from the mountains, forcing some of them to clap their hands over their ears. Strider narrowed his eyes as he listened intently; it was ghoulish and rough, the kind of scream one would hear from a beast in the throes of torture. It made the hair on his neck stand up, anxious and excited to see what it could be.

 _'Never heard anything like that before. It's pretty loud if it reaches all the way over here. Hmm… looks like a few miles into the mountains themselves. The cavern shouldn't be too far,'_ he thought.

"What… the hell was that?!" Lucy asked frightfully, taking one of Strider's arms and holding it tight.

"Probably what we're going to be facing. That's quite a distinct sound," he replied.

"Maybe we should rethink this…," Lucy trailed off nervously.

"We accepted the Request, knowing full well the peril. We must complete it, otherwise, we'd dishonor Fairy Tail," Erza said. That thought frightened her the most; to not live up to the exceedingly high standards of the guild.

"Let's go see the mayor. He should be able to tell us a bit more," Mira said. While she hadn't been on a Request in a long time, she knew how things were supposed to be done. Nodding, everyone continued.

-o-

"You must be the Wizards from Fairy Tail! Greetings - my name is Elias! Thank you for accepting our request! This infernal creature has been a terrible deal all around. We hope that you might finally be able to bring peace to our town," he said.

"We will. What else can you tell us about the creature?" Erza asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Nothing much, I'm afraid. It lives in a mining cavern where several of our townsfolk work. It's a three-mile walk into the mountains, and another mile or so to the mouth of the cavern. After the initial attacks, we hired some Wizards to go and deal with it for us but… they didn't return," Elias said, gulping.

"Oh man…," Lucy whined.

"Are there any other openings to the mountain?" Strider asked.

"Several. That is the main one. There is a smaller one roughly half a mile away, continuing down that trail. And another one around three thousand feet in elevation. It's inaccessible unless by flight. We have heard… flapping sounds when we investigated around the cavern, so we assume it is capable of flying," Elias said.

"Alright. Thank you for the information," Strider said.

"Let's go," Erza ordered everyone.

"Should we be going this late at night?" Lucy asked fretfully.

"It's best we stay close to it. Perhaps we'll get lucky and it'll come out so we can fight it on our terms. Otherwise, we should scope the cavern out as much as possible. We'll make camp nearby. Thank you, mayor," Erza said before she began to march down the path, the others close in tow.

-o-

"I'll go ahead and scout out the cavern as best I can," Strider said.

"Sounds good! I'l-," Natsu began before Erza pulled him down.

"You and Gray draw far too much attention. Wendy, Natsu, Gray, and I will set up camp. Strider, Mira - you two go scout out the cavern. If there's anything we can use to our advantage, make not of it," Erza said. The two nodded and began to walk the short distance - no more than three-quarters of a mile. As they snaked their way through the fresh powder on the ground, it began to fall yet again.

"Been a while since I've seen snow," Mira said, smiling.

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it?" Strider asked, looking at her.

"It really is. Too bad it doesn't snow in Magnolia. Do you get it often, where you're from?" she asked.

"In some places. We have a lot of mountainous areas where it snows constantly. One of our ranges if almost always snowcapped, now that I think of it. Quite misty as well," he replied.

"Don't you miss it?" she wondered.

"I do. Quite a bit. But… it's not where I want - or need - to be right now," he answered.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"After all the fighting, I just want some peace and quiet. Or as close to peace and quiet as I can get," he said.

"You might have to fight this thing," Mira noted.

"That's different. It's infrequent. For the longest time, it was a daily occurrence. It wears down on you," he said tiredly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up any bad memories. That kind of… pain can't be easy," Mira said nervously, looking at him.

"It's fine. I can understand your curiosity," he replied.

-o-

The mouth of the cavern was roughly twenty fight tall and thirty feet wide - easily large enough for many people or other manner of creature to pass through unhindered.

"Do you see anything?" Mira asked as she peered in.

"Nothing. You?" he asked.

"Nope. We're going to have to move in closer," Mira said.

"Agreed," he replied. They slowly edged inside, keeping their footsteps light and making sure not to breathe too loudly or brush against anything that might make a noise.

 _'Guess it might be asleep,'_ Mira thought. As they let their eyes adjust to the darkness that ensconced them, they made quick notes about their surroundings that they could share with the others. The inside of the cavern was extremely large, likely going on for miles. Strider noted that a significant part of it was the people tunneling deeper and deeper to reach precious metals; he could just make out the outlines of tools. Tapping Mira on the shoulder, he nodded at the entrance.

"It's extremely deep and wide. I don't think we should continue without any light source, and I'm hesitant to produce one in case we wake it up. It certainly has the room to make its nest; we'd be hard pressed to find it without causing a racket, and even more so to fight it in these conditions," Strider said.

"I think you're right. Let's head back," Mira nodded. As they made their way back to camp, they saw that they had already pitched three tents. Gray, Natsu, and Happy were already fast asleep inside one, while Erza, Lucy, Wendy, and Carla were in another. Mira turned a bright red as her eyes fell on the only empty one, reserved for her and Strider. As they entered, Strider quickly laid down and got comfortable.

"I hope you're not too uncomfortable with this," he said.

"No. It's fine. I'm sure you won't try anything," she said, sitting down and sighing deeply. She could hear Natsu and Gray snoring loudly from the tent furthest away. "Those two are going to wake this thing up if they keep it up."

"I wouldn't be surprised. To bad Juvia isn't here. She could share a tent with Gray. I'm sure she'd love that," Strider chuckled.

"I love Gray like a brother, but he's as clueless as Natsu when it comes to girls. It's so disappointing. They'd be such a cute couple!" Mira squealed.

"Ah. Are you the matchmaker of the guild?" Strider asked with a smirk.

"And what if I am? I just think it'd be the cutest thing ever!" she exclaimed.

"Their love seems a bit one sided, no? It's Juvia doing all the work," Strider said.

"Give it time. I'm sure it'll happen. Unless you get in the way. I saw Juvia stealing glances at you earlier today," Mira said.

"Ha. So who else do you figure is looking for true love?" Strider asked offhandedly. He regretted positing the question almost immediately.

"Oh, there's so many! I was gonna say Alzack and Bisca first, but I'm not sure anymore. I know Alzack has a thing for her, but Bisca just see's him as a friend. Kinda sad - they'd be so cute! And they already spend a bunch of time on quests together. Evergreen and Elfman are kinda, sorta together, I think - but they keep denying it. I could be imagining that one, though. Freed is probably in love with Laxus, and I think he probably feels the same way - but since he's not here now, I can't say for sure. Romeo and Wendy are always playing together - it's so cute! I'm almost certain they'll end up together. Macao and Wakaba are both married, but they try to flirt with every girl that passes by them. Still, they're loyal to their wives, no matter what they say. Lisanna is into Natsu, I think. They used to spend a lot of time together, but… drifted apart. They started hanging out more and more recently, though. I think Bixlow might have a thing for her. He better watch out, though. Hmmm… Gajeel and Levy are totally a thing, even if they don't admit it. Kind of feel bad for Jet and Droy - they've both liked Levy for so long, but I don't think she's ever seen them as more than good friends. I think Porlyusica - she's a healer that lives in the East Forest - had a thing for Master Makarov, but I don't know much about that. There's a guy in another guild that I was told has a thing for Juvia, but she's only got eyes for Gray. Natsu and Gray _do_ spend a lot of time-fighting like an old married couple, so if they came out as gay it wouldn't surprise me. Erza… I dunno. She's never really talked about it much. Same with Cana, Kinana, and Laki. Cana's been on a few dates, but I don't think any of them worked out…," Mira said. She kept going on for minutes longer, while Strider listened intently. Or at least he gave Mira the reassurance he was listening intently by nodding here and there in understanding.

"Now all that's left is you," Mira said, giving him a sly smile.

"What do you mean?" Strider asked in surprise.

"Silly, you know what I mean! Who do you like?" Mira asked, moving a bit closer.

"I don't know anyone well enough yet to make an opinion, I think. From what I've seen, however, the guild has plenty of beautiful women. However, you skipped someone," he said.

"Oh? Who?" Mira asked, wracking her mind.

"Yourself," he said simply. He laughed as he saw Mira turning a bright shade of red. "What's wrong? Don't you want a match made in Heaven for yourself?"

"Oh, stop it. I… I don't really know yet. I get a bunch of secret admirers and I've been on a few dates, but nobody has really caught my eye yet," Mira sighed. It had been months since she had gone out last - in fact, the time she spent with Strider was probably the most she had spent one-on-one with a guy in a long time. She eyed his form intently, her mind awash.

 _'I don't think I'd mind,'_ she thought.

"No need to rush it. It's important to be choosy when it comes to something like that," Strider said with a deep sigh.

"Speaking from experience?" she wondered.

"That which I have," he answered. They both remained in silence, looking at each other before Mira spoke again.

"Let's get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow," she said softly.

"Right. Let's get comfortable, shall we?" he asked, closing his eyes and resting his hands behind his head. Mira laid down a few feet away, still looking at him. As she closed her eyes and tried to fall asleep, she found it easier said than done. Looking over, Strider saw that she was shivering violently, despite wearing comfortable and warm clothes.

"Mira," he whispered.

"Hmm?" she replied, teeth chattering. She wasn't used to such extreme cold; none of them were, except Natsu and Gray - both of whom it didn't bother.

"Come closer," he said.

"W-what?" she asked, thinking she misheard.

"I said come closer. You seem like you're really cold. You don't want to be hypothermic," he said, beginning to take off his cloak. Thinking about it for a moment, Mira turned towards him and moved in as close as she could. She rested her head on his chest and put a hand on his stomach. Doing so, she exhaled comfortably and noted how surprisingly warm he was in the freezing weather.

"Wow. You're so warm," she whispered, snuggling in just a bit more. Strider smiled inwards and put a hand on her head, holding her closely and gentle. Putting the cloak over her like a blanket, the chattering and shivering soon stopped and she drifted into a comfortable sleep. Minutes later, Strider fell asleep as well, physically comfortable although his dreams soon turned into nightmares.


	6. Unidentified Terrestrial Organism

Strider awoke with a sudden gasp, covered in a cold sweat. Trying to get his breathing under control, his mind soon drifted again to the nightmare he had. Gulping, he looked at his left shoulder and touched it gingerly. As his fingers connected, he winced in the most severe pain that trailed him all this time.

 _'Damn it. Still feel it,'_ he cursed himself lightly. Feeling a pressure on his chest, he looked down. Mira was still fast asleep, her breathing gentle, even, and pleasant. He felt the pain suddenly start to drift away as he inhaled deeply, taking in her scent.

 _'Huh. She smells really sweet,'_ he thought, before fluttering his eyes closed yet again, trying to get a few more hours of sleep. As the hours passed, however, he figured that that would not be happening. Strider began to gently weave a hand through Mira's hair; she shifted slightly at the touch and got even closer, almost clambering onto him at one point. Finally, as he saw the first signs of light shine through the tent, he began to get up. Slipping himself from under her as quietly as he could, he stepped out and stretched. Natsu and Gray were still snoring sleepily and he heard Happy mumble something about fish. Reigniting the fire that had died out, he sat down on a log and looked out ahead.

The snow had let up overnight and the clouds had parted, allowed the sun to begin to shine through the mountains. He took in the beauty of the nature around him, warming his hands over the gentle flame; while it wasn't necessary, it felt nice to sit in such a pleasant place with a wonderful view to gather his thoughts. The snowcapped mountains glowed lightly in the sun, some of them given halos around their peaks. It was a vast difference from the nighttime; visibility was poor and the snow subtracted from it; but in their glory, the Blue Mountains were magnificent to behold. He sighed deeply, taking in the fresh air. Closing his eyes, he let his surroundings fill him.

A few minutes later, he heard a soft movement behind him. Losing her comfortable pillow, Mira had woken up rather quickly. Stepping out of the tent and yawning, she saw Strider sitting in front of the fire.

"Hey, you. You're up early," she said, taking a seat beside him.

"Good morning. You know what they say; the early bird catches the worm. Or, in this case, perhaps monster would be apter," Strider said with a lighthearted smile. Mira giggled and rested her head on his left shoulder, yawning again; no doubt she was still sleepy. Strider felt the pain in his shoulder reignite before it died down again, quicker than before.

"That view is amazing," Mira said, looking out as well.

"It sure is. More beautiful with present company," he said, looking sideways at her. Mira smiled and blushed at the compliment before snuggling a bit closer; the cold was still biting.

As the two sat in comfort and silence, they heard the rest of their team begin to get up.

"You two are up before me?!" Erza asked in shock. They waved at her, Strider taking great interest in the fact that she was wearing pajamas with strawberry cakes on them. Erza began to rouse Wendy, who mentioned something about getting five more minutes. As she realized that she was speaking to Erza, however, Wendy immediately jumped up and out, taking a seat on Striders right. He smiled and put his arm around the bluenette, keeping her warm. Seeing her chance, Wendy gently dozed off for a few minutes.

"That's adorable," Mira cooed, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"Lucy! Get up this instant!" Erza chided her.

"I'm up, I'm up!" Lucy whined, taking her sweet time in doing so. She shivered as she felt the cold yet again and proceeded to wake Natsu and Gray up.

"Ugh, come on Luce! Ten more… ten…," Natsu began before falling into slumber again. He and Gray regretted their choice as Erza was next in the tent, beating the life back into them. Bruised, the two soon joined the rest around the fire.

"Talk about a view," Lucy said breathlessly.

"So pretty," Wendy agreed.

"Enough about the view! Let's go fight this thing!" Natsu exclaimed.

"We'll need to strategize first," Erza said, deflating the Fire Dragon Slayer. Natsu grumbled and nodded; it was far too early to be fighting Erza.

"From what Mira and I could make out last night, the cavern is extremely dark. We didn't venture too far for fear of waking up whatever might be lurking inside. I think splitting up might be the best way to go about this, however; there are three entrances. Happy, Carla and Wendy can take the highest, Natsu, Gray, and I can take this one; and Mira, Erza, and Lucy - you three can take the one that's a bit up the path," Strider said, splitting them up.

"Works for me!" Natsu and Gray said excitedly. They looked at Strider with a glint of competitiveness in their eyes; Mira and Lucy rolled their eyes at the look while Erza sighed.

"That works well, I think. We will need to communicate in case one of us comes across it, however," Erza said.

"I have an idea on that if you guys are up to it," Strider said.

"What i-," Erza began before he answered her question.

 _'This,'_ Strider thought. They looked on in surprise; while they clearly heard his voice, it was as though it came from within their minds - they most certainly did not see his lips move.

 _'Telepathy?'_ Mira wondered.

 _'Yup. Warren gave me lessons,'_ Strider answered.

"That's amazing. How did you pick up on it so quickly?" a bewildered Mira inquired.

"It seems as though it's just an extension of my telekinesis. Both require a considerable amount of focus and thought, so I was able to adapt it easily enough. I can only use short bursts of it for now, though, so keep the messages short and sweet. Express more with less," Strider said.

"That solves that problem, at least," Erza said.

"What do we do if we come across it?" Lucy asked fretfully.

"Call out to the rest of us for assistance. This thing seems to be quite deadly, so it'd be best to not engage it alone. I'm not sure what the difference is between S-Class and SS-Class, but I imagine it's probably going to be stronger than the bird," Strider said.

"That's a safe bet. Anyways, let's move out. We have the light on our side, at least," Erza said, looking back.

-o-

"See anything?" Gray asked quietly.

"Not yet. You?" Natsu asked Strider.

"Mmm… we're not alone," he said, narrowing his eyes.

"Le-!" Natsu began before Strider clapped his hand over his mouth. He shook his head and continued to lead them in. Strider recalled the last time he had ended up in a cavern such as this one. The experience did not go well overall and he had little desire to go through something like that again. Pushing the memory out of his mind, he continued. Having gone just another twenty feet, they suddenly heard the sounds of rocks falling as something moved around the cavern. Gray and Natsu were ready to attack but held their ground for the moment.

"Think that was it?" Gray said.

"I do. It appears as though we're being hunted," Strider said. The thought was enough to send any reasonable person scurrying for the exit.

 _'Perhaps we've found it,'_ Strider thought to Erza.

 _'We're hearing something here,'_ she replied.

 _'Two creatures?'_ Strider asked.

 _'Possibly. Could be something else,'_ she replied.

 _'Stay on edge,'_ he said.

 _'Likewise,'_ she replied.

As they continued to press their luck and went deeper, they soon came to a lake in the cavern. All three were surprised by the sheer size of it; it appeared to go on for a good mile ahead. Not to far away, however, Strider made out a small island. Concentrating his focus on it, he grimaced. A few decapitated heads and bodies lay strewn about the island, ripped to shreds with grisly holes in the torsos. While he couldn't tell completely, it was a good guess that the bodies were likely missing vital organs; they appeared to be the meal for the beast. As Gray and Natsu saw the carnage, they nearly doubled over in disgust. Strider looked amused by the reaction.

"You two alright?" he asked softly.

"Alright!? Are you seeing that?!" Natsu asked. He tried to look at it again but found himself unable to. Despite all the fights he had been in, he couldn't recall seeing bodies left in such a state. Gray fared a bit better - knowing what a monster can do - but it had been so long, that he reacted much the same when he tried to look again.

"Poor souls," Strider said.

"Hell… it's eating them," Gray said in surprise.

"Should we tell the others?" Natsu wondered.

"No, it's not pertinent. We'll inform the mayor once we get back. Until the-," Strider was cut off by a screech that made their on his neck stand up. He withdrew his sword completely and looked around for the source, eyes narrowed as he tried to focus his senses. The sound echoed throughout the cavern and likely throughout the mountain range, down to the town. Everyone would be on edge for whatever might happen next.

Finally, he saw it. Bone white, it descended on them like a nightmare. The creature had a massive wingspan of ninety feet if Strider had to peg it. It's four limbs were outstretched towards the trio. The cavern was so large, a monster of this size could pursue them with ease, only having to dodge a stalactite here or there. The triangular head was set with rectangular red eyes that gazed at them with fury. Stride knew immediately that this thing wasn't like the bird on the previous job; its existence was one of pure malice. It opened its jaw wide enough to swallow a couple of men whole and bared its serrated teeth and long, purple tongue. It slowly swooped over them, screeching yet again to signify that it hath come.

"HOLY CRAP THAT THING IS HUGE!" Natsu yelled. Gray was the first to stroke. Bringing his fast and palm to the side, the launched a massive ice beam at it. As it turned, the creature took the ice beam head on and shattered through it, not impeded for a second.

"It broke through my attack!" Gray yelled in shock.

"Let me take care of it!" Natsu said, grinning. Rearing his head back, he let out a massive Fire Dragon Roar that hit the creature dead on and rebounded against the cavern wall. The entire room began to shake as snow above was set loose and came down like an avalanche. Strider immediately stopped him.

"Careful! If you cause an avalanche, it's going to hit the town!" he hissed. Natsu gulped and nodded. Turning back to the creature, he was as shocked as Gray; no damage yet again.

"Are you kidding me?! Not even a burn!" he said as they leaped out of the way. Strider tried his luck next. Holding his hand out against the monster, he attempted to slow it down and bringing it a halt, landing it in the middle of the cavern. He quickly found that this would have no effect; the creature wasn't hindered in the slightest.

"I see. It's magic resistant," he said.

"Is that even possible?!" Gray asked.

"I don't see why not. I imagine living in the caverns has built its defense up impressively. We're going to have to regroup and rethink our strategy. Run. Now," Strider ordered. The trio began to run towards the exit, the creature keeping a close eye on them. They had a distance to go, Strider thought; this would play out in one of a few different ways. To his dismay, he saw snow began to pile in front of them; Natsu's attack had the ill-intended consequence of possibly locking them inside. Giving the two a push with his telekinetic magic, he forced them out of the cavern before the snow completely fell. Sighing, he turned and saw the monster land. It let out a series of low, clicking noises that filled him with distaste.

 _'Looks like I might be its next meal,'_ he thought grimly. Holding his sword in one hand, Strider began to prepare for the fight - hoping beyond hope no one else would stumble in on him and his charge.

-o-

As Natsu and Gray exited, they were greeted by Mira, Erza, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, and Happy - all of whom decided to regroup at the main entrance after Natsu and Gray alerted them that they found the monster. The cavern was a maze inside as the ladies found; it would not do well to get so lost, they couldn't find their way out. After receiving the message, they immediately exited to meet the gentlemen outside the cavern.

"Where's Strider?" Mira asked fearfully.

Natsu and Gray stopped before answering. Both of their hearts were racing at a thousand minutes per second, they felt. Neither were strangers to deadly foes; Deliora the demon was a beastly one, as was Lullaby; Laxus might as well have been a monster, and Oracion Seis nearly killed them at multiple times. However, most of them were sentient enough to have their motives. The beast in the cavern was a pure animal, concentrated only on territory and the next meal - of which they almost partook in.

"What do you mean? He's ri - oh…," Natsu said, looking behind. There was Gray, panting and trying to regain control; but notably absent was their newest teammate.

" _'Oh'?_ What do you mean _'oh'_? Did you two just leave him there?!" Mira asked angrily.

"Of course not! All three of us were running for the entrance… then we felt something push us forward, through the - oh… crap," Natsu said, grimacing as he finally concluded what happened.

"What? Through the what?" Mira urged him.

"Flame brain here caused an avalanche!" Gray said, pointing at the freshly fallen snow that covered the entrance of the cavern so completely, you wouldn't know one existed.

"Striders in there?! With the thing?!" Lucy asked fearfully.

"It… would appear so," Erza said.

 _'Are you ok?'_ she quickly asked Strider.

' _I am,'_ he assured them.

 _'What happened?! Weren't you behind us?!"_ Gray asked.

' _I was. Extenuating circumstances,'_ Strider replied.

' _What does that mean?!'_ Natsu demanded.

 _'Needed leverage to get you two through,'_ he replied.

' _Are you fighting it?'_ Mira asked.

 _'I am,'_ Strider replied.

"Is it just me or does he sound way to calm about this?!" Lucy asked fretfully.

"I imagine he's been in similar situations before. How much snow has fallen?" Erza asked.

"Too much. We can try to dig through, but it might be too thick," Gray said.

"We have to try!" Mira shouted, a shocked and terrified expression on her face. She remembered why she didn't like going in the field anymore - because that's where people died. Seeing her friend in such a state, Erza quickly hugged her.

"Don't worry, Mira. He's gonna be fine," Erza said. Mira didn't answer; holding her hands over her chest, she simply stood rooted to the spot, wide-eyed and transfixed on the caverns entrance.

' _He's gonna die. I'm going to lose him like I almost lost Lisanna,'_ she thought. While her sister had returned since then, she couldn't think of a way for Strider to get out of this. She was certain that the only thing they'd find on the other side was a freshly dead corpse, staring up at her with lifeless eyes; blood dribbling out of his mouth as his body lay split open, the blood, gore, and flesh mixing with the slime that littered the cavern. His organs would be missing, and he'd be left as carrion for the scavengers.

 _'You're trapped in there!'_ Erza shouted telepathically, still holding o to Mira.

' _I'll be fine,'_ he answered.

' _Please be careful,'_ Lucy thought to him.

 _'We'll work on removing the snow!'_ Wendy said. Strider didn't reply with more than a grunt of affirmation; he was in the middle of a fight for his life.

"Crap!" Natsu suddenly yelled.

"What?" Wendy asked.

"The thing! It's resistant to magic!" he cried out.

"What?!" Erza asked, shocked.

"Gray and I tried to hit it but… it just went through our attacks!" Natsu said.

"How is that possible?" Lucy asked.

"I've no idea! I just know Strider couldn't use his magic, either! How's he gonna beat it?!" Natsu asked in a panic.

Erza felt her heart sink. If the creature was resistant to magic, Strider's options were severely limited. Looking at her companions, she saw that they were at as much of a loss as well. She figured he could his sword, but considering how panicked Gray and Natsu appeared, she wondered if that would be enough?

"Lucy! Call your Spirits! We gotta cut through this snow!" Natsu ordered. He began to claw it away with, coating his hands in fire. Gray began to shove it away as well; both were careful to not do anything that would result in another avalanche. Carla and Happy began to move as much as they could, while Wendy swiped away as much as she could. Summoning Taurus, he immediately got to work, taking heed of the situation; while Erza switched into her Flame Empress armor. She began swiping away at the snow with her red sword, melting as much as she could. Mira felt useless, unable to move much.

' _I couldn't do anything for her. I can't do anything for him,'_ she thought, feeling her heart sink lower and lower.

-o-

Inside the cavern, Strider was locked in a test of strength with the beast. It wasn't something to trifle with; a single mistake would be his undoing. He couldn't underestimate it - as it stood, this beast was the only thing standing between him and the fresh outdoors. Because the beast was resistant to magic, he figured that any defensive spell he activated wouldn't work too well - likely, it would cut through. Strider began to survey his surroundings; he would have to focus on physical strikes.

 _'Hmm… it might be resident to my magic, but it shouldn't be resistant to environmental impacts,'_ he thought. He began his dance with the beast, circling it as it circled him. Coal-black eyes drilled into blood red ones, sizing the other up.

The beast made the first move. It lashed out at Strider with one of its stark-white limbs, swiping with its six-inch claws. Strider was barely able to dodge the strike. As it reared its limb back, he saw his first opening. The beast was prowling directly under a massive stalactite that had an exceedingly sharp point. Strider stopped moving and the beast followed, eyeing him. With a sudden movement, Strider brought the stalactite down with a telekinetic pull. It ripped free from overhead and drilled right through one of the leathery wings and into one of its limbs. The beast let out an angry and pained roar that shook the mountain to its very core; outside, fresh snow began to fall, adding more work to what the others had to do.

Pressing his advantage, Strider shot forward with his sword and lopped off the injured limbs with a vicious slice. It went through like a hot knife through butter and soon, purple blood began to spray like a geyser. He was barely able to dodge, but the pungent smell soon reached him. He retched, thankful that the creature was still nursing its wounds. Looking at the stalactite, he saw the limb squirming, some life still in it. As it became still, the creature refocused its hate on Strider and let out a screech as it began to rush him. Strider flew back as far as he could, squirming inside a crevice large enough to fit him. Despite the discomfort, it was preferable to being eaten alive by the creature. The cloak was durable enough to protect him from catching his clothes or skin on the jagged rocks, although they bored into his back hard enough to cause some blood to begin oozing. The creature tried its best to make its way in, but the pillars in front of the crevice stopped its entry. It opened its maw wide and the elongated, purple tongue jutted forward. It founds its way to Strider and licked him slowly, but was unable to do much else. The creature had gotten a taste for its prey, which certainly wouldn't do him any favors.

 _'Could've cut the damn tongue off,'_ he thought as he edged back just a bit further to escape it. The tongue followed, continuing to coat him in its saliva; the smell was more disgusting than the blood that continued to pour from its limb.

' _That much blood loss and it's still going. This thing is impressive,'_ Strider thought. Finally, the creature pulled away in anger and drew itself to full size, showing off its might and trying to impress fear upon its prey. Looking up, Strider noted that it hadn't learned from the previous mistake; it was under another stalactite. Moving a bit quicker this time, he brought the stalactite down with another downwards motion. Before it connected with the wing, Strider got out of the crevice and launched forward so he could make it on time. Immediately after it tore through another wing and limb, he sliced it off. The creature, however, wasn't as foolish as he initially thought it was. Taking the attack head on, it quickly pivoted - faster than something that size should've been able to - and smashed another limb directly into Strider's stomach. The Wizard flew back, pelted deeper into the cavern at a mile a minute. It took him a while to get his bearings straight. The attack left him slightly winded; despite putting up his protection, his earlier hypothesis proved true - the attack simply cut through it. He was barely able to dodge the beast that was flying his way, struggling to keep afloat with the two vicious holes in its wings. Launching himself up, he came down just as quickly and landed on its smooth back, digging his sword in to keep balance. It let out a might screech as it felt the blade pierce easily through. Arching its back, it tried to shake him off but Strider held on for dear life. The vicious movements had an impact on his left shoulder; the pain was unlike any he had experienced in a long, long time. It felt as though someone was jamming a hot iron rod into his shoulder. He bit hard on his tongue to quell the pain, tasting his own blood in the process.

Strider began to wiggle the sword around, desperately hoping to find and connect with a vital organ that could put an end to the tortured flailing of the monster. Looking at the hole his sword was making, he suddenly had an idea. He continued to widen the cut as much as he could before the blade out and sheathed it in the black matte sheath around his waist. He plunged his right hand into the cut had made, ignoring the geyser of blood that rushed out as he removed the sword. Some of it found its way into his mouth; the taste was more horrific than the smell. He felt around its pulpy innards and began to release wave and wave of telekinetic bursts. While the hardy exterior of the monster deflected magic, the internals were a different matter.

The monster roared in pain as it began to feel the effects of the bursts. Another hole ripped open on its stomach as its insides began to be forced out. Over the screams, Strider heard soft plops down below as blood and organs poured into the lake; the still beating heart on its last pumps, the ruined lungs, a long string of slushes that were the large and small intestines rippling in. It kept crying in pain as the innards were continually pushed out. Over the duration of the bursts, Strider created a gaping cavity in its chest. Slowly but surely, the wings stopped flapping as its jaw was affixed open. The creature and Strider plummeted into the lake. The cold waters overtook him; opening his eyes, he saw that the creature was descending to the deepest parts, trailing blood and minced organs as it went, finally dead. He swam out of the lake and flew to the sure, coughing out blood and water. Strider ran his a hand over the hilt of his sword and sighed in exaltation; the fight was much more difficult than he could've anticipated. He brushed off whatever gore that remained on him before heading towards the caverns entrance, still caked in snow. With a mighty telekinetic pull, he sucked dozens of feet of snow into the cavern.

Strider recoiled as the sun blinded him. As he let his eyes adjust, he suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Looking down, he saw a head of white hair; Mira was clinging onto him tightly, lightly crying into his chest about not being able to do anything. Strider wrapped his arms around her and gave her a tight hug, whispering that it was ok. As she drew away, she smiled and wiped away tears. Mira took a good look at him; he was soaking wet, with large splotches of purple here and there. Noting the two limbs on the floor that oozed purple blood, she came to the sudden realization that it belonged to the creature, which was at last dead.

Erza was next, hugging him tightly, although she wasn't crying as Mira was. Nonetheless, Strider hugged her back, doing the same for Wendy who threw her arms around their waists in worry. As Erza began to look at the limbs, Lucy dove on as well; and much like Mira, she had tears in her eyes, thankful that he was ok. Natsu and Gray gave him a thumbs up before joining Erza.

"The monster?" Erza asked.

"Dead. It's at the bottom of the lake now," Strider replied, hiking his thumb behind at the body of water.

"How'd you beat it? I thought it was resistant to magic?" she asked in intrigue.

"It was. Took a little ingenuity," Strider said, nodding at the stalactites. Erza nodded and drew the conclusions. With one last glance at the lake, they began to head back to the town.

-o-

As they continued to the town, Mira and Lucy held on tightly to either of Strider's arms while Erza led them. Looking between them, he could tell that the two were likely something like sisters to the guild - always looking and caring for the other members. The realization brought joy to him; Fairy Tail was indeed like a family as Master Makarov told him on his first day there.

"How did the job go?!" Elias, the mayor, asked as they finally arrived at the city hall.

"We've successfully completed it. The monster is dead. Its body is at the bottom of the lake," Strider told the mayor.

"Truly?! Thank you, Wizards! Come, come! Your reward, and then some rest - you seem to be soaked in particular, young man!" he said to Strider. He led them towards a hotel where they received their reward, which totaled a decent five million jewel for each of them.

"We'll keep the same arrangements as last night. Get some rest, Strider," Erza said, giving him a tight hug before leaving with Lucy, Wendy, and Carla; while Natsu, Gray, and Happy went off to their own room; leaving the last for Mira and Strider.

"You wouldn't happen to have a fresh pair of clothes I could borrow?" Strider asked the mayor.

"Of course!" Elias said. A moment later, Strider had a fresh set of lavishly designed clothes prepared for him; blood red with a royal gold trim on both pieces. Smiling and thanking the mayor, Strider and Mira finally went to their room. As they entered, they saw that it was fairly spacious; with two beds and a wonderful view of the mountains. Strider went outside to change and dry off, closing the curtain behind him as he went.

As she watched him leave, Mira gulped. Slowly, she edged over to the balcony and rested her hand on the curtain. She was wondering how much damage he had sustained because of her inability to do anything. Breathing deeply, she opened the curtain imperceptibly and saw him unlatch his sword and lay it off to the side. Strider took off his hood and cloak, laying it out on the balcony to dry in the warm sun. He removed a torn black vest that he wore underneath and tossed it to the side, taking a moment to crack his neck and stretch. Then he removed the wet, black shirt that clung tightly to his frame. As he did so, Mira looked on in horror.

Scar after scar littered his back. She brought a hand to her mouth to stop herself from gasping or shouting in fright, as tears began to well up in her eyes. Some of the blood was fresh, obviously from the fight that he just been in. But a significant portion of his back was covered in ancient scars, suffered years ago. They were healed to varying degrees; some were even imperceptible unless you looked long and hard enough. Others appeared to be the obvious result of torture - the spacing, grouping, and size were too perfect to be anything else, inflicted for maximum pain. But the most horrific were three massive, jagged cuts that ranged from the nape of his neck vertically down his whole back - several feet in length. They appeared to be the work of a claw or something to that effect. To the side, she saw burns and brands of symbols that were foreign to her. Quickly, she closed the curtain and ran to the bed, pulling the blanket over and crying herself to sleep.

A few minutes later, after nursing his stomach, Strider came back into the room fully dressed. Mira was lying on the bed, already fast asleep. Walking over to his own bed, he let out an exalted sigh and laid his head down, looking at the ceiling. Gently, he began to close his eyes and let a soothing and peaceful dark wash over his weary body.

-o-

As Strider woke up later in the night, he paused to say thanks that he was able to do so peacefully. Whether it was because he was so tired, the sleep had been dreamless and peaceful. Looking to his left, he saw that Mira was still sleeping pleasantly, the blanket now tucked under her chin. Strider frowned as he saw looked like tear stains across her face.

 _'Why was she crying?'_ he wondered, tucking some hair behind her hair. She grabbed his hand in her sleep and held it close, mumbling something that he didn't quite catch. Smiling, he gently pulled away and headed to the balcony to let the cool night air wash over him.

 _'That was a hell of a fight today. I'm going to have to start training again, though. I can't let myself get caught off guard like that more than once,'_ he thought with an exalted sigh. His powers were usually near absolute in their strength, but they had failed him during the fight. It was well that he was otherwise adept with the sword, else it could've been him dead at the bottom of the lake. Breathing deeply, he looked up at the sky. His eyes soon turned to one particular star that seemed to be shining brighter than the rest. Almost mindlessly, his hand went to his neck, pressing on something that rested around it. He gently pulled out a chain that lay under his shirt and looked at the black stone that hung on it. Grasping it tightly, he sighed before glancing at the star once more and heading downstairs to eat.

As he found the kitchen, he saw that Erza was already awake as well, drinking a glass of milk as she lazed around in her strawberry cake pajamas.

"Good evening," he said.

"Oh, you're awake? I thought for certain you wouldn't be up until tomorrow," Erza said in surprise.

"I got enough rest, I think. That said, it's probably best that we wait to leave until in the morning. I know Mira's still asleep; I'm sure Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Natsu, Happy, and Gray are as well," Strider said, pouring himself some milk and grabbing a bagel.

"Lucy, Wendy, and Carla certainly are. With the weather outside and the warmth inside, it makes for a cozy setting. I agree, however; we'll wait until the morning," Erza said. Strider noted her staring intensely at him.

"What is it?" he wondered.

"What you did was really brave," she said.

"Well, we took on a job. We had to complete it, right?" he asked.

"Indeed, but you took it one on one. Gray and Natsu seemed to be a bit shaken by it, and they've fought deadly foes before. It appeared as though this thing was a monster true and through," Erza said.

"That it was. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before. Almost alien in appearance, but considering where it made its home, we shouldn't be too surprised," Strider said.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked.

" _'There are old and foul things in the deep places of the world,'"_ he said, remembering being told that once before.

 _'The old man was right,'_ Strider thought with a frown.

"Do you encounter things like that often where you're from?" Erza asked, curious of the answer. She was no stranger to monsters - especially big and deadly once. However, she hadn't ever come across something like that one that Natsu and Gray described to her; and certainly not magic resistant ones.

"Here and there. It's a wide and wondrous world. I don't think any of us have seen enough of it to be left unsurprised. There's always going to be something bigger and worse than the last," he said.

"Perhaps. I hope there's not much more like _this_ one, though. A monster that's impervious to magic - how are you supposed to beat something like that?" she wondered.

"A little ingenuity goes a long way. Although, I'm curious - how dependent is this world on magic?" he inquired.

"Fairly dependent, I would say. Not everyone is a wizard. First of all, you need to have an affinity for magic - either Holder or Caster. Next, you need to be part of a guild. You're not officially considered a Wizard unless you join one and start going on jobs. Otherwise, you're just a civilian," Erza said.

"I see. So I only became a Wizard after I joined Fairy Tail?" Strider wondered.

"That's correct. How did it work in your homeland?" Erza wondered.

"Wizards were those with magical skill, but we defined it as something else entirely. We didn't have as many _wizards_ as you do here; just a very select few. I don't know many people like me, in fact; and while magic is used, we don't depend on it," Strider said.

"I see. So are your skills considered special there?" she wondered.

"More or less," Strider nodded.

"Mmm, I see. Magic is an important part of Fiore - and Ishgar as a whole. Everyone depends on it for their daily needs. We use Magic lacrima's - they're magical, crystalline objects - that can be imbued with magic for different purposes. They're used for things like fuel in a vehicle; as surveillance tools; as lighting and lamps; as communication tools; and several other uses. Those that can't use Magic use lacrima's and it's a part of life. I'm not sure what we'd do without it, to be quite honest," Erza said. She had never given the topic much consideration before; Magic always simply _was_. It didn't require any thinking, for the most part; people just used it.

"It's good to be able to adapt to a situation without Magic, however. As versatile as it is, you need to be able to react appropriately to a situation in which it's nullified," Strider said.

"Perhaps you're on to something. I've trained with swords for a long time, so I'm comfortable using them; it appears to be the same for you," she said.

"Since I was a boy," he said with a wry smile.

"How old were you when you first used one?" she wondered.

"Hmm… four or five, perhaps?" he said.

"That young?" Erza asked in surprise.

"Necessity dictated it, I'm afraid. Yourself?" Strider asked.

"Eleven," she said.

"Fairly young as well," Strider said, just as surprised.

"Perhaps. I'm thankful that I found Fairy Tail. It's… when life started to look up at last," Erza said with a light smile. She soon got up and said good night for the rest of the night; Strider left a little while after. Getting comfortable in his bed yet again, he quickly dozed off for the night.

-o-

The following morning, the sun shone through the curtains and the rays of light landed directly on his face. Grumbling in discontent, he forced himself awake. As he sat on the edge of his bed, he heard something; a beautiful sound coming from the direction of the bathroom. Noticing that Mira was awake, he deduced that she was singing in the shower.

 _'Wow. I had no idea she could sing. Such beautiful voice…,'_ Strider thought, trailing off as he let her words wash over him, unknowingly serenading him into peace. He closed his eyes and focused on the sound of her voice, the soprano reaching its highest point. As he thought about Mira, he found his mind beginning to wander, reaching across his past and bringing to head another figure; a woman with white-blonde hair and rosy cheeks, comparable to Mira in beauty. Quickly, however, he suppressed the thought. Ten minutes later, Mira reentered the room, ready for the day. She frowned as she saw him before perking up again.

"Hey," she whispered.

"Good morning, Mira," he said, smiling back at her.

"What's up? Ready to go?" she asked.

"I am. I'm just going to shower really quickly. Forgive me if my singing isn't as beautiful as yours, however," he said, winking at her before walking in. Mira went a bright red.

 _'Did he hear me singing?!'_ she thought in a panic. She had assumed that he was still downstairs and only had walked in a few moments ago. She quickly got dressed, mind still awash with his comment. Looking to the bathroom door, however, her heart fell. The sight she had seen the day before came rushing back; the scars prominently on display in her mind's eye. With a deep sigh, she waited patiently for him.

 _'How does someone get scars like that and live? I mean… it's like his entire upper body is covered. If it's like that on his back, though… what's it like in front?'_ she thought. As vivid images came to ahead, she whimpered quietly and laid down, trying to suppress tears that threatened to spill yet again.

 _'What has he been through? Torture, for sure. He said he was in a war, but I haven't seen anyone with scarring that bad. And those three big ones… what the hell could make that?'_ she wondered. She cycled through encounters she had had or monsters her guild mates had faced; and eventually, she could think of nothing that could cause that much damage - at least nothing in Fiore.

Finally, Strider reentered, dressed and ready to go.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"Yeah. Hey, got a sec?" she asked, walking up to him.

"Sure. What's on your mind?" he wondered.

"I… I'm sorry," she said, looking at his chest.

"For what?" he wondered.

"I was… completely useless on this job. I couldn't even help get rid of the snow," Mira said, tearing up slightly. She felt him bring a hand to her cheek, lifting her face to look at him.

"Don't fret about it, alright? There really wasn't much to do," he said warmly.

"Still, I feel like I should've… done _something_ ," she sighed.

"It's fine. Relax, alright?" he said, hugging her. Mira sighed as she felt his warmth wash over her, much like it did during the night. Nodding despite her remaining guilt, the two finally left.

 **-o-**

 **If you know where the title of this chapter comes from, you can see where I got some of the inspiration for the monster.**


	7. Conversations

"I can't believe it's still raining!" Lucy complained as they walked back towards the guild under the auspices of Strider's telekinesis, shielding them from getting wet.

"It's nice," Strider said.

"You're the only one that thinks that," she grumbled.

"Actually, it is kinda pretty," Wendy agreed.

"Oh no! Wendy, you're spending way to much time with Strider! He's beginning to rub off on you!" Lucy said in a panicked voice.

"Well… thanks for making me sound like such a bad influence, Lucy. I really appreciate it," Strider said with a chuckle. The blonde blushed before apologizing several times.

"Really, though - thanks. Now I'll be set for rent for a good, long while!" she said excitedly.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Lucy. You still owe your share for the seventeen homes that Natsu and Gray destroyed on that one job a month and a half ago," Erza sighed.

"WHAT?! HOW MUCH IS THAT?!" Lucy asked, fearful of the answer.

"Around… 4,930,000 jewel," Erza answered. Lucy let out a loud whine; that left just a month of rent for her.

"NATSU! GRAY! IF YOU GUYS DESTROY ANYTHING AGAIN, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE I NEVER HELP YOU OUT WITH ERZA EVER AGAIN!" she roared at the two, who shrunk under her unusually angry gaze.

"Hey, we have to pay too!" they complained.

"DON'T CARE!" Lucy said.

"Here you go, Lucy. Should hold you over for a couple of months, at least," Strider said, tossing her a satchel.

"SERIOUSLY?!" she asked excitedly, getting extremely close and looking at him with bright, wide eyes.

"Seriously," he nodded. Lucy threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, jumping for joy.

"YOU'RE THE BEST, STRIDER!" she cried out. He chuckled and returned the hug, gently rubbing her back. As she saw what she did, Lucy panicked yet again.

"CRAPIFORGOTSOMETHINGILLSEEYOUGUYSINTHEGUILDWELPBYENOW!" she yelled, tearing off towards Fairy Tail at a record speed.

"Huh. Lucy seems to break down nervously whenever she interacts with a guy," Strider said.

"I know. It's adorable, isn't it?" Mira giggled.

"I'll say. Probably would be a good idea for her to work on that, though," he sighed. They continued on their way, making light conversation and jokes at the absent Fairy's expense.

-o-

Upon reentering the guild, they were greeted by the usual loud, proud and brash demeanor. A fight had evidently broken out between what appeared to be Elfman and Vijeeter regarding the manliness of dance; while Wakaba and Macao were in a corner, smoking and drinking to their hearts content; Cana was, as per usual, at the bar - and smiled at Strider as he entered; while Bisca appeared to be out on a job.

"Welcome back," Lisanna chirped as they made their way through and got settled. To Strider's amusement, Juvia trailed him with her eyes as opposed to Gray. The guild watched in shock as the Water Wizard finally tore herself away from her previous beloved. Strider saw Gray give him a thumbs up; he seemed happy of the new normal.

"Think Juvia has a thing for you now," Cana said.

"Oh? Why isn't she approaching me?" he wondered.

"She prefers to observe from afar," the Card Wizard sighed.

"I see. Juvia, you can talk to me, you know," Strider said, smiling at her. Juvia let out a cute yelp before scurrying out of the guild, leaving a bewildered Strider in her wake.

"I thought she wanted acknowledgment?" he said.

"Ah… maybe it was the hard to get factor that appealed to her. Guess you can't pull that off, huh? Too eager to talk to girls," Cana said with a smirk.

"I'm afraid I don't play at all, my dear. I just make it known," Strider said, leaning in close to her. Cana looked up and saw him smiling down at her; she couldn't help run a hand down his torso, feeling his muscular build as well as the ridges she felt the night he walked her home.

"Oh? Isn't it at least a _little_ fun to play around?" she wondered.

"I can think of far more pleasurable games to play, Cana. Would you like to partake?" he wondered, leaning in and whispering her ear. He smirked as he saw how red Cana had gone. "My apologies. It appears as though I've overstepped."

"Ugh. You're terrible," she grumbled.

"So I've been told. Careful, Cana," he said.

"Careful? Of what?" she asked.

"I can hear your heart racing," Strider replied in a sing-song voice. She turned even redder as she felt it; he was right.

"Excuse me for a minute," she said, quickly excusing herself to the bathroom. As she went, Kinana came over and giggled.

"I've never seen Cana so flustered. Usually, she's the one that's outgoing when it comes to guys," she said.

"Everyone gets a bit flustered when they meet their match," Strider said.

"Have you met yours yet?" she wondered.

"I thought I had," he said, almost mindless. Shaking his head, he quickly ordered a drink and downed it, looking around the guild. He sighed as he saw Gray and Natsu get into a fight. Putting the mug down, he went over to stop them.

"Welcome back, Mira," Kinana said as the white-haired beauty approached the bar.

"Thanks, Kinana. And thanks again for taking care of the guild while I was out," Mira said graciously.

"Not a problem. So, did you have fun?" Kinana asked innocently.

"You could say that," Mira said, looking at Strider as she answered. Kinana put two and two together and smirked.

"Oh?" she asked.

"What? NO! Not like that!" Mira said quickly.

"Mmm, if you say so, Mira," Kinana said, leaving the bar with a smile as she went to attend to the others. Mira sighed as she left, and yet again her eyes trailed to the newest Fairy.

 _'It's platonic. Or… is it? I mean, we basically slept together in the tent. But no… no, that was definitely in a friendly way. He didn't even try anything. He just… let me sleep on him. But would I have been mad if he tried something? I keep thinking about him. That has to mean something, right? And I haven't caught him trying to undress me with his eyes, so he's not a pervert or something. But that… doesn't mean it hasn't happened. And why did I get so flustered when he asked me who I liked? And why did I think that I wouldn't mind if it was him!? I barely know him! He's only been part of the guild for a few weeks. But… I've spent more time with him these few weeks than I have with anyone else besides Lis and Elf,'_ Mira thought. The battle raged on inside her head, making her oblivious to the fact that Strider had broken up the fight and was now trying to get her attention.

"Mira?" she heard him say again, snapping her back to reality.

"What? What do you want?" she asked harshly. He was taken aback by the reaction but recovered quickly.

"I just wanted to see if you want to get get a bite to eat; maybe walk around for a bit?" he asked, hesitant after the reaction.

"Sorry, no. I'm busy tonight. I need to do the inventory and balance the books," she said distantly, turning her back on him.

"Can't it wait? Or maybe I can help you?" he offered.

"No, I don't need your help. I'll see you later," she said walking back to the kitchen, not sparing him a glance.

"Huh. Weird. Don't think I said anything wrong…," Strider said under his breath before shrugging. As he began to walk out the door, Erza suddenly came up.

"Strider!" she said.

"Hey, Erza. What's up?" he asked.

"Leaving so soon? We just got back," she said.

"Yeah, was just going to get something to eat and maybe walk around for a bit," he said, hiking his thumb at the door.

"Might I join you?" she asked.

"But of course," he said, opening the door for her.

As they began to walk, Erza immediately recommended that they go to a cake shop that she was fond of. Chuckling, Strider agreed; he knew that the red-head had quite a sweet tooth. The shop happened to be close by, just a block or two over. Ad they greeted the pastry chef, he immediately recognized Erza.

"Hello. Thirty-one strawberry cakes, please," she said casually.

"Ah! Buying for the whole guild this time, Miss Scarlet?" the man asked jovially.

"Mmm, no. One is for him," she said giddily, pointing at Strider. The pastry chef looked bewildered and Strider had to do his best to restrain the laughter that was threatening to spill over. Casting a spell over the cakes so they wouldn't get soggy, they began to look around for a place they could sit and eat in peace. Despite the spell, Erza didn't want to sit in the rain.

"Hmm… follow me," she said. She began to lead Strider up the path to Fairy Hills, much to his surprise.

"Isn't this place supposed to be girls only?" he asked as they passed the front gate and were a few hundred feet away from the entrance.

"It is, but I cannot think of another place where we can talk and eat in peace. Should we be discovered, I'll take the punishment… That said, please enter through the window," Erza said. Strider nodded and did as she asked. He dried off as he waited for her to enter.

"Please, make yourself comfortable," Erza said as she shifted into her strawberry cake pajamas and dug into the first one. Strider sat on a chair near the bed and began to eat as well.

 _'Guess I can have real dinner later,'_ he thought.

"I never would've pegged you for having such a sweet tooth," Strider said.

"Oh? Why not?" Erza asked.

"I suppose it's just a preconception I had. You seemed to be a lot more serious than the others. But here you are, enjoying strawberry cake in strawberry-cake pajamas. It's heartening, if not adorable," he laughed. Erza turned red and quickly scarfed a few cakes down before mellowing out.

"I suppose it's often the case that people aren't as you first see them. We're more complex than that," Erza said.

"I agree," Strider said.

"Except Natsu and Gray. They are, unfortunately, as idiotic as they seem," Erza said with a fond laugh.

"You all seem fairly close," Strider said.

"We are. Natsu, Gray, and Mira were the three that I really got along with when I first joined Fairy Tail," Erza said.

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you join? You said that you started to learn how to use swords at age eleven. That's… young in any case," Strider said. Erza carefully considered the question as she ate, wondering if she should answer. Multiple times, she looked at Strider before looking back down; however, he didn't press it. Finally, she sighed and put the cake down, bringing her knees to her chest and hugging them close.

"It's not something I've often discussed before, but as my teammates know the story, you ought to know as well. I… was born in a small town, called Rosemary Village. I never knew my parents, so I lived with another couple there and their children. But… one day, the village was attacked by a group of cultists that followed the Black Wizard, Zeref. He's… a dangerous figure, especially in Fiore - but he's treated more as a legend now than anything else. They ravaged and burned the entire town down, killing virtually everyone except for myself and another boy that I lived with - Simon. He was like a brother to me. They… captured us and some of the other children and took us to an island on the coast of the Caelum Kingdom, south of Fiore. They were building something called the Tower of Heaven, an R-System that can be used to revive a deceased person. Much of it was constructed by child labor," Erza said, her breath shuddering violently as she remembered her time there.

Strider sat stunned by the revelation. While he didn't expect the rosiest story from her, this was far from what he expected. He grimaced and nodded, wondering if he should move to comfort her right now. However, he decided to stay seated as Erza began to talk again.

"I thankfully managed to stay sane, somehow. I had several friends there… Jellal, Shô, Simon, Wally, Millianna… it's where I also got my last name, Scarlet. One of the boys - Jellal - gave it to me for my hair," Erza said fondly, running a hand through her scarlet locks. "I was also good friends with an elder at the Tower called Rob. He was a mage at Fairy Tail and he told me all about it. If not for him, I might not have learned about this place. I was there for years… until the age of eleven, when we planned to break out. We didn't get far; we were quickly captured. Seeing how afraid my friends were, I took the blame. They took me to the disciplinary chamber and tortured me to the brink of death. I… lost my right eye there," Erza said, folding the hair back.

Strider moved to the bed and put a comforting arm around Erza, holding her tight and close. While he wouldn't admit it, he felt his anger surge in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. He had a visceral reaction and could only think of inflicting pain on the people that took pleasure in torturing an eleven-year-old girl. As he touched her, Erza quickly buried her face in his chest; the memories were difficult to bear and as they came to ahead, she couldn't help but cry. Strider held her tighter as he felt the tears seep through his shirt.

"Shh… don't worry, Erza. You're safe now. I'm here," he whispered. He felt her nod into his chest before picking herself up. Resting against his shoulder, she continued her story after wiping the tears.

"We revolted after that. Simon got injured; his lower jaw was blasted off and he ended up needing to wear a metal replacement. I was nearly killed but… Rob sacrificed himself. He jumped in front of the attack and took it. That's when my Magic activated for the first time. All the tools and weapons that were just laying around… I was able to use them against the guards. I hurt them and injured them, but didn't kill anyone. The slaves continued to the ships and I went go get Jellal. But something had happened to him. He said that he was possessed by the spirit of Zeref - and that's similar to what the cultists said; that they were doing this for Zeref. He wanted to continue to build the Tower of Heaven. He offered us all a part, but I refused. He cast me out, saying that he would let me live for taking care of the guards. Before letting me go, he told me to keep it a secret and to never return. Otherwise, he'd destroy the Tower and kill everyone in it - including our friends," she said, whimpering as she remembered. The tears came forward again; it was one of the most painful decisions that she had ever made. She felt Strider tighten his hold and was grateful for the compassionate touch.

"Eventually, we did go back to the Tower - me, Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Juvia. My friends Sho, Wally, Simon, and Millianna were still convinced that Jellal was doing everything right and that he wanted me to be part of the new world. In reality, he just wanted a sacrifice. They didn't know that initially when they attacked us. They thought that I had betrayed them… and they were right. I did betray them. I should've been more proactive about what was happening there. But I was afraid… afraid of what Jellal could do; afraid… of confronting him. Eventually, I had to. Simon was there as well… he always knew that Jellal was lying to them. Natsu made it to the top and it seemed as though we had a chance of beating him. But… he killed Simon. He would've killed Natsu and I as well had Natsu not eaten the Etherion - crystals made of every element - and taken Jellal out. That nightmare finally ended that day. But… I lost Simon. He was like a brother to me," Erza cried. She lurched forward and took Strider onto the bed, laying on top of him as her tears flowed loose. Strider cast a quick spell to make sure no one else would hear and ensure their privacy. He held her close, trying to comfort her as best he could. Strider began to gently weave his hand through her hair. As he did so, Erza felt a comfort and warmth she couldn't remember ever feeling before. She looked up and saw him looking at her, a frown on his lips but warmth and compassion his eyes. She moved up and bit and buried her face in his neck before speaking again.

"As for Fairy Tail, however… after I left the Tower of Heaven, I washed up on the shore of Fiore and I made my way to Fairy Tail, remembering the stories Rob had told me. It was when I began to wear armor; to protect myself from the pain that others could inflict. Gray was the first one… he began trying to pick fights with me, trying to get me to break out of my shell. It was around that time I spoke to Makarov in depth about what had happened with Rob. He brought me to the healer, Porlyusica, and she gave me an artificial eye. It was the first time I remember crying in joy… I hadn't been that happy in a long time. I could only cry out of my real eye - my left eye - for a while, but that changed after the Tower was destroyed. I was finally able to cry out of both of them," she said with a happy sob.

"Natsu was next. Like Gray, he was always picking fights. Eventually, they were at each other's throats and _I_ was the one breaking up the fights. Mirajane joined afterward. Finally, someone around my age was in the guild. I tried to welcome her; I had heard by that time that she was really strong. But, she didn't say anything and just left, giving me the cold shoulder. It stayed like that for a long time; eventually, we became rivals, competing in everything. Both of us were the two youngest S-Class Wizards in the guild. It ended after Lisanna died, though," Erza said.

"What?" Strider asked in surprise. He could've sworn that he had seen Lisanna earlier that day.

"Right… you joined after that happened. The… short of it is this; any more, you'll have to ask Mira, Lisanna, or Elfman. They had gone on an S-Class Request a year after she was promoted to the Rank. It was a monster known as _'The Beast'_ that had been terrorizing a small town in the countryside. The three had always been close; they lost their family at a young age and so Mira had always taken care of Lisanna and Elfman. Anyways, they managed to beat the monster but Elfman tried to use his Takeover Magic on it. He… succeeded, and promptly lost his mind for a moment. That was all that was necessary; he attacked Mira and knocked her into a tree. Lisanna tried to calm him down, but Elfman smacked her away and injured her. That shocked his system enough to bring him back to his old self, but it was too late. They saw that Lisanna's body began to dissipate - I'm not sure what they made of that - but eventually, it was gone. The event shocked Mira badly and turned her personality around. She used to be pretty intimidating and punkish, bullying some of the guild members. But after this happened, she became much kinder and loving to everyone," Erza said, pausing to take a breath before continuing.

"But it turned out that Lisanna wasn't dead. Her body was transported to another… dimension, I suppose, would be the right word for it - or realm - called Edolas. She spent tow years there, until not too long before your arrival, a portal opened between us and Edolas. Their Magic works differently from ours, you see; they store it in objects, while we produce it from our bodies. After the portals closed, all the Magic began to be sucked out of Edolas and sent to Earthland. Lisanna, being a Wizard, was transported back here as well. I remember her running towards Elfman and Mirajane on the anniversary of her death. It was… a teary reunion. For all involved," Erza said, sniffling and smiling at the recent memory.

"That's amazing. I'm happy to hear that they got her back at least. I'm also happy to hear that you found a home in Fairy Tail," Strider said softly, still weaving his hand through Erza's hair. She noted the position they were in; something she didn't often share with others. Despite that, she didn't feel like moving. His hold was gentle and warm, something she craved right now; especially as the tears were threatening to spill again.

"Might I ask you what your family is like?" Erza asked quietly. Strider smiled and sighed; he expected this to come sooner or later.

"I was orphaned early on," he said.

"Really?" Erza asked, her head snapping up. She didn't expect that to be the answer, but soon sighed in discontent; that was the case for many Fairy Tail Wizards.

"Yes. I suppose that… my past isn't all too dissimilar to yours, now that I think about it," Strider said.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, frowning.

"Let's see… when I was born, the war was already going on. I was lucky for my formative years. I lived in a small village with my parents in the countryside; no more than a hundred or so people. My parents moved there after meeting in another, larger city; she was the daughter of a farmer while he had served as a ranger for several years before growing disenfranchised with it. They moved to a remote village that they assumed would be spared the brunt of the fighting. It turned out to be true for a while - I grew up happily until I was three or four, roaming the hillsides when I could. One day, an enemy horde made its way through the village, though. We were completely unprepared and my father hadn't used his sword in all that time. Food was scarce then - you often had to scrounge for whatever you could. The same went for the enemy; they resorted to cannibalism, eventually. I had just returned from a small hike to find everything on fire. They piled some of the carcasses on one side, which is where I hid for a while. I tried to look for my family, but… found them inside the carnage. After I was sure the horde had gone on, I made my way in the opposite direction. I can't remember how long I walked before I made it to an enclave. It was a long, long stride until I finally got some peace, eating, and drinking whatever I could find. Thankfully, I soon met a man there that housed me, fed me, and helped train me in my telekinesis magic. He, and others taught me how to fight," Strider said.

Erza listened intently, her own heart sinking deep as he continued.

"C-cannibalism?" was all she could muster to say.

"Yeah. It was… gruesome," he replied, trying to push the memory out of his head.

"I'm… so sorry," Erza said quietly, looking up at him, stunned.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault, Erza. Besides, my ordeal wasn't as long as yours. If anything, it's I who should be sorry," Strider said kindly.

"Why should you be sorry? You couldn't have known or done anything. Anyways… it turned out well in the end. A family like Fairy Tai… they might not be blood, but we've shed so much blood together, it's hard to imagine myself elsewhere. And you're part of that family now as well," she said earnestly.

"Thank you for saying that," he whispered, continuing to stroke her.

"You… mentioned that they trained you?" Erza asked.

"That's correct. I had resolved to fight after spending some time there. I… never wanted anyone else to go through something like that again. It was obvious that the attacks were becoming more frequent, from what I could tell of the people gossiping. On one side, we had them; on the other, us. I looked for the gray… I could never find it," he said mindlessly.

"You were a child soldier?" she asked quietly.

"I was. My parents and my mentor… they always talked about the responsibility of a person to stamp out injustice and cruelty wherever possible. Luckily, I found plenty of both. War would soon envelop the entire continent. By the end of it, there's wasn't a single place left untouched - not even the furthest regions. At the core, there were a few that carried the burdens of the continent on their shoulders," Strider said, whispering the last part mostly to himself.

 _'I was lucky that I was amongst them,'_ he thought. Erza seemed to not have heard that either.

"How old were you when you began to develop your magic, then? Immediately after you arrived?" she inquired.

"Around that. I rested for a month before I began to beg my mentor to teach me everything he knew. He's the most adept Telekinetic Wizard that I've ever met. I suppose I had an affinity for this magic as well, though. I learned it fairly quickly and was able to develop it over the course of a few years. I still have a ways to go, however. My mentor, for instance, can rebuild a city from rubble over the course of a day or two using his magic - homes, schools, hospitals, etc.," Strider said fondly.

"Your skill is already very impressive," she noted.

"Could always be improved upon, though. It's a never-ending journey," Strider said.

"You eventually joined the war effort in full?" Erza asked.

"I did. I spent… I don't know how many years at this point… fighting every day. Eventually, I led a small force of about one hundred people towards the tail end of the war. Most of them survived and are living happily now, thankfully," Strider said.

"Strider," Erza said.

"Mm?" he asked.

"Did you ever…," she trailed off, wondering how to pose the question. She felt that she knew the answer, but needed confirmation from him.

"Did I ever what?" he wondered.

"…Kill?" she asked quietly. He had to suppress a laugh at the question. Composing himself quickly, he answered.

"I did," was all he said. _'Guess they aren't big on killing here.'_

"I… see," Erza said, shifting a bit. She had expected it, but it was still difficult to hear. In all her fights, she had only ever once hurt someone so bad, that it led to their death - and that was in absolute self-defense after they initially attacked her and the team. She had seen death, but would never have partaken in it in such a brazen way. She tightened her hold on him, wondering what she should say next on the matter.

"It's different there. It was a terrible situation all around - for anyone even tangentially involved. There were no other options. Our very way of living was under siege and if we didn't fight back, the results could've been catastrophic. It's not the best way to solve a problem, but it was the solution we had. While we don't condone murder - and I don't think any civilization does - war is necessary at times," Strider said softly.

"I… don't know what to say," Erza said.

"There's nothing to say, really. I came down here to put some distance between war and I. It's been a peaceful change thus far, thankfully" Strider said.

"Don't you miss your home, though?" she asked.

"I do. But… this is what I need right now. Whether there's a place for me in the new age is yet to be decided," he said. Erza had no reply to that; she tightened her hold on him just in case, however. Strider did the same, letting her draw strength and warmth from him while he did the same.

 _'Guess some things don't change, regardless of where you go,'_ he thought.

"I better get going," he finally said several minutes later.

"Mm? Yes. Of course. My… apologies," Erza said, getting up and wiping her tear stained face. She felt Strider put an arm around her waist and pull her close. As she turned to face him, he wiped her cheeks for her.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry for. If you ever need to talk or something, you know where to find me," he said quietly. She smiled gratefully at the offer and nodded.

"You as well. About anything," she said, giving him one more hug before he left out the window into the rain. She sighed as she watched him go.

 _'What a remarkable man,'_ she thought before closing the window and resting on her bed. She quickly fell asleep.

-o-

"Welcome back," Cana said as he sat next to her again.

"Thank you. Feeling better?" he asked.

"Ugh, don't start," she grumbled.

"As you wish. Curious, are you hungry? I'm gonna go grab a bite," he said.

"Didn't you just do that?" she wondered.

"I tried, but Erza had me eat cake instead. I'm going to need something a bit more fulfilling," he said.

"Ha. Let's go. I know a great place," Cana said. Draping his cloak around her, Cana led him to a hole-in-the-wall not too far away. Both got comfortable in a private booth and poured themselves drinks.

"How romantic. It's nice of you to wine and dine me first," Strider said with a laugh. The room was fairly dark, Cana's face only illuminated by the lacrima that lit their table.

"That's your job. The food is amazing, though - no joke," she giggled.

"Guess we'll see soon enough," he said, making his order. He soon picked the lacrima up and began to rove it around his hands, studying it closely.

"Right. They probably don't have lacrima's where you're from, hmm?" she wondered.

"Nope. We do have a few objects that remind me of this, but none are as versatile. This one appears to give off a faint glow. Is this a light lacrima?" he wondered.

"Yup. You can control the settings and make it as bright or dim as you need. They're pretty useful. It's what most lamps and other lighting equipment in Fiore are made of. I think some people still use fire, though. What about you guys?" she wondered.

"In the more rural places, they use fireplace and candles; and in larger towns, cities, and fortresses, they use eternal fire, which is fairly easy to conjure. Some of the people are able to use crystals - not unlike these - that offer a bright light," Strider said.

"Eternal fire?" Cana asked.

"Yup. It requires a slight bit of magic, but it's useful. Rain or shine, it doesn't go out until you tell it to," Strider said.

"Can you use it?" she asked.

"Mmm, I have in the past. It's not something I developed, really, but can probably pull it off in a pinch," he shrugged.

"With your Magic, I can understand why. But what about these crystals that you mentioned? What're they like?" Cana inquired.

"I brought one with me, but it's back in my room. It's a small phial filled with water from a special fountain where I come from. It serves as a light in the darkest places," Strider said with a fond smile.

"It sounds like it's special to you," Cana said softly.

"Very special," Strider nodded.

"Did you bring a lot of stuff from back home?" she asked.

"Some things. I keep most of it in a pocket dimension, not unlike Erza and Bisca. That said, I can't switch as quickly as they can; I have to stop, concentrate and open it, remove the object, and close the pocket - all consciously. Erza, I've noticed, can do it on the fly - on a subconscious level. It's stunning, really," Strider said.

"Yeah, she's pretty amazing. Pretty scary as well," Cana sighed.

"I've noticed. Gray and Natsu seem to fear her quite a bit. Kind of funny," Strider chuckled.

"They know when they're beaten. I remember that they used to challenge her all the time to fights. She won every single one. They still haven't learned their lesson, now that I think about it; it was just a few months ago that Natsu challenged her. Pretty sure the fight got interrupted if I remember correctly, but as you can see, she knocks him around almost every day," Cana said.

"You've been part of the guild long, then?" he wondered.

"Since I was a little girl. I've been a part of the guild for twelve years now, I think. I joined before Natsu and Erza, so Gray was the only annoying one then. My… mother had just passed away and she told me that my father was a part of Fairy Tail, so I came here," she said, eyes misting over.

"I see. Did you find him?" he asked.

"Mmm?" she wondered.

"Your father," he said.

"Oh. Um… that's…" she trailed off. Strider pierced her gaze with his but nodded.

"Perhaps it's just my imagination, but you seem to be far more serious than I initially gauged," he said softly.

"What do you mean?" Cana asked before smiling at the waitress that brought them their food; dragon rolls for her and fish and chips for Strider.

"One would assume that someone that drinks so much would be laid back and relaxed at all times. But I've noticed that you've usually an intense look on your face, as though you're contemplating something. Not when I talk to you, but otherwise," Strider said.

"Stare at me often?" she asked with a smirk.

"Can you blame me? I'd be blind otherwise," he said. Cana bit her lip as she looked at him before sighing and putting her utensils down, resting her face in her hands as she looked at her drink.

"I try to be focused. We have S-Class trials coming up soon - that's the test we have to pass before being promoted to S-Class Rank. This is my fifth trial… Mira and Erza joined after me and they both beat me to it. I've… recently been considering leaving the guild. It's not that I don't love it but… I dunno. If I can't… _move_ up or something, I don't know if I should stick around," Cana said uneasily.

"I see. Is there any particular reason you want to be an S-Class Mage so bad?" he asked.

"I… it's something I just have to do," she said shortly. She felt his gaze again pierce her before nodding.

"I think everyone would miss you quite dearly if you were to leave. They respect you quite a bit. As boisterous as Natsu and Gray are, they seem to listen to you when you talk. Especially Gray when it comes to his stripping habit," Strider sighed, eliciting a giggle from her. She soon sullied, however, playing with her food.

"Maybe. I dunno. After you try something so many times and keep failing, though… it's hard not to lose hope," she said softly.

"I know. But the most important thing is to keep at it. I don't know if it ever gets easier, but where there's a will, there's a way," Strider said.

"Mmm…," she hummed, going back to her food.

"At the very least, _I_ certainly want you to stick around," Strider said.

"You barely know me," she whispered.

"I know you well enough," he answered. She smiled at the reply, blushing and nodding.

"Can I ask you something?" she inquired.

"Go right ahead," he said.

"Your name," she said with a sigh.

"Ah. Still don't believe it's my real name?" he asked with a laugh.

"It's… not that. It's just that I don't think I've ever met someone with a name like yours. Usually, there's the first and last, sometimes a middle. It… seems more like a title, is all," she said. Strider observed her before he sighed and nodded.

"The whole story takes somewhat of a… emotional toll on me, so I hope you'll forgive me if I just give you the basics," Strider said.

"Sure," Cana nodded.

"I was orphaned at a young age. My village was razed to the ground in an enemy attack, and it's where I lost my parents. I was… three or four and lost, walking as far as my feet would carry me. I eventually reached another village, but even so, it was a while until I healed - malnourished, a fever, and more. By the time I was coherent again, the only things I remembered was what my parents looked like. Nothing else stuck with me. So one of the men in the village that took me in and mentored me gave me the name _'Strider'_ after the long walk. He had a single name as well, so I just never questioned it. By the time I met people with a first and last name, I was already used to being called Strider," he said.

"Three or four?" Cana asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I was lucky to get away," he said.

"I'm surprised you were able to do that much," Cana frowned.

"All's well that ends well," Strider said with wry smile. She returned it with a pained one of her own before sighing.

"God, we have some fucked up lives," she said mirthlessly.

"I'll drink to that," he agreed, clinking glasses with her before they returned to their food.

-o-

"You were right. That was a good meal," he said.

"I know, right? Best seafood in town, that's for sure," she said, smiling as he put his cloak around her and walked her to Fairy Hills.

"We should do this again soon," he said.

"I'd like that. There' s a lot of great places to eat here. Happy to show you around," she said.

"I'll take you up on that offer. Hmm… Mira's a pretty good cook as well, now that I think about it," Strider said.

"She's been cooking for her siblings since ever, I think. Thank goodness for that. I've tried Master Makarov's cooking before. I'm lucky it didn't kill me," she grimaced.

"That bad?" Strider wondered.

"Whatever you're thinking - worse," she said.

"Don't let him hear you say that," he smirked.

"Oh, he'd admit it," she replied. Sighing, she looked wistfully at the rain, which continued to pour still. Not long after, they crossed the fence to Fairy Hills.

"I seem to keep ending up back here. Too bad it's girls only. Think the proprietor would make an exception?" he wondered.

"Nope. Bad influence, like Mira said," Cana smirked.

"I'm a gentleman. Now, I suppose this is where we part. I'll see you around," he said.

"Actually, I was kind of hoping you'd something for me," she said.

"Oh? What?" he wondered.

"Mind carrying me to my room?" she asked with a smirk.

"Ha. I'm sorry?" he replied.

"I don't what it feels like to fly. Come on, I don't weigh that much. And if you do, I'll give you a reward," she said.

"Oh? What's the reward?" he wondered.

"You'll see," she said in a sing-song voice. Smirking, Strider picked her up princess style. Cana smiled as she felt his arm under her calf, gently cradling her close. She put her arms around his neck and rested her head against his shoulder, leaning in as much as possible. Slowly, Strider began to easily levitate - but to her surprise, continued far above the threshold of her room. Moments later, she was wide-eyed, gasping as she saw the beautiful view around her. The rain did nothing to spoil it; she saw the massive cathedral, Fairy Tail itself, the port, and thousands of homes and apartments; she could make out Lucy's specific apartment as well as the river that cut through Magnolia.

"Wow," she whispered.

"I know," Strider replied.

"You see this kind of view all the time, hmm?" she asked.

"Similar or better, yes. It's why I'm so partial to my magic," he said.

"I can believe it. This is amazing," she said. Strider kept them aloft for several minutes before slowly gliding down and entering through her window. After she dismounted and took the cloak off, she rounded and gave him a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Not at all, Cana," Strider said.

"Seriously. That… was amazing. I'm never forgetting it," she said giddily.

"Good. Let me know whenever you want to do it again. I'm happy to oblige," he said.

"I will. Now… your reward," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Leaning on the tips of her toes, Cana licked her lips. Strider smiled before deadpanning as she kissed him on the cheek. Giggling, she winked at him and pulled back.

"That… was not what I was expecting," he grumbled.

"Oh? What were you expecting?" she wondered innocently.

"I think you know," he said.

"You might not like to play hard to get, but I _love_ to play. Sorry, but that's it for now," Cana said, clicking her tongue as she laid down on the bed and smirked at him.

"You're evil, Cana. Absolutely evil," he grumbled.

"I know. But seriously: thanks," she said. Strider sighed and smiled.

"Not at all. Until later?" he said, positing it as a question.

"Definitely," she replied. With a wink, Strider quickly ejected through the window. Sure he was gone, Cana quickly closed it before laying down on the bed, looking at her ceiling.

 _'He's a really good guy. Handsome. Kind. Strong, from what I can tell. The total package,'_ she thought, biting her lip. Looking towards her window once more, Cana let out a sigh. She ran her hand over her breasts and stomach before slipping them underneath her jeans. As she began going through the motions, he was heavy on her mind.

-o-

As he reentered the guild, Strider headed towards his room, only half awake. Accidentally, he bumped into Mira.

"Oh. Hey Mira, sorry about that. I didn't see you there," he said tiredly.

"It's fine," she said, beginning to go around him. As she did, he remembered what Erza told him.

"Mira. I just wanted to say I'm sorry," he said quickly.

"For what?" she asked, frowning.

"I was with Erza earlier and she told me what happened with Lisanna. I ju-," he said before Mira suddenly cut him off.

"Wait - what do you mean _Erza_ told you?" she asked, feeling her anger rise.

"Well… we were just talking and she told me about the incident-," was all he said before she cut him off again.

"Why were you talking about me?!" she snapped.

"She was telling about herself and then Edolas and-," before again, Mira interjected.

"Look, if you want to know something about me, just ask _me,_ alright? If I want to share something with _you_ , I will! Otherwise, don't pry into my life!" she said, almost yelling as she poked him hard in the left shoulder. He winced in pain, but Mira didn't seem to notice - or, if she did, showed no signs of havingnoticed. With that, she turned and left, tears beginning to form as she headed downstairs.

Strider opened his mouth to speak before closing it and sighing.

 _'Women,'_ he thought before heading into his room.

-o-

"Come in," Erza said as she heard a loud banging on her door. Mira soon entered, seething; it was was just before midnight and she had closed up the guild.

"Hello, Mirajane. I wasn't expecti-," Erza began before Mira cut her off.

"What the _hell_ is your problem!?" she yelled angrily. Erza was taken aback by the vitriolic welcome.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked honestly.

"Strider just apologized to me about Lisanna dying! Why the hell did he know that? What else did you tell him?" she asked, her demon aura beginning to emanate slightly.

"We were just talking," Erza replied.

"Why were you talking about _me?!_ " Mira demanded.

"It _wasn't_ about you!" Erza said, her voice beginning to rise along with her anger. She didn't mind explaining the situation, but she felt that Mira was approaching it the wrong way. Yelling at her wasn't going to do anyone favors.

"The hell it wasn't!" Mira snarled back.

"I was telling about what happened to me when I was a child! And then _that_ led to me telling him about how you and I were rivals and why that changed!" Erza said harshly, leaning in closer until their faces were almost touching. Neither could remember being so angry with the other in a long, long time.

"But WHY did you tell him about Lisanna or what happened there?! I could tell him that myself!" Mira screamed.

"It happened, Mirajane! I didn't plan it if that's what you're thinking! Do you think the only reason I was with him was so I could gossip to him about _you_? How long have you known me?!" Erza roared. As she said that, Mira backed off, breathing heavily as she tried to regain control of herself; remembering where she was and who she was talking to.

 _'Fuck! Why the hell did I get so pissed?!'_ she berated herself. Her anger toned down as she began talking again.

"I… forgive me, Erza. I.. should've known. You're right…," Mira trailed off as she saw on the edge of Erza's bed, regaining control. Sighing, Erza went over and put an arm around her, giving her a hug.

"It's fine. I forgive you," she said. Mira hugged her back just as tight. Her heart fell as she remembered how she snapped at Strider as well.

"I got angry at him as well after he said that. Told him to stop prying into my life," Mira whispered sadly.

"I'm sure he won't hold it against you," Erza said.

"Talking about Strider?" another voice said; Cana was wide awake, wearing some pink pajamas she had thrown on.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Mira asked fretfully.

"I was already awake, but I heard you yelling at Erza so I thought I'd check out what the fuss was," she said, closing the door as she entered.

"You were with him earlier, weren't you?" Erza asked.

"How'd you know that?" Cana asked in surprise.

"I see you two walking up when I woke up to eat some more cake," Erza said. Cana let out a laugh before yawning and sitting on the floor, looking at them and sighing.

"Yeah, I was," she said.

"What did you two talk about?" Mira wondered, chastising herself for her hypocrisy. She had just screamed at Erza about talking to Strider about her, and now she was doing the same for him.

"Just the S-Class Trials. He… told me how he got his name," Cana said uneasily. The story stuck with her. Erza and Mira looked at each other in surprise before focusing on Cana, silently asking her to tell them everything. Cana sighed before nodding. As she told them, Mira gulped while Erza grimaced; it lined up with what he had told her, excluding this specific bit.

"Yes, that's about in line with what he had shared with me earlier - although he didn't mention that they gave him his name," she said.

"What do you mean?" Cana frowned.

"I told him about my experience at the Tower of Heaven… and with Jellal. In turn, he told me about his past," Erza said.

"What is it? You look pale, Erza," Cana said.

Taking a deep breath, Erza began to recount what Strider had told her. Wonder turned to the shock and horror as she continued. Cana and Mira shivered at the mention of cannibalism; both felt as though they would be sick. While Mira had seen some grisly things, this was more than she was able to stomach. Even dark guilds in Fiore never resorted to eating the flesh a human. Cana had to hold her dinner in forcefully, her hand over her mouth as an aid. There was bad, worse, terrible, and horrific; this eclipsed and lapped them all.

"What the fuck…?" she said under her breath.

"Yes… that was my reaction," Erza grimaced.

"I feel worse now… if that's even possible," Mira said, recoiling.

"He seems so normal. You would think that if you saw people… _eating_ other people, that'd fuck you up for life," Cana said, aghast.

"I… imagine that he's not completely okay. But he has had a long time to deal with it," Erza offered.

"It doesn't matter how long you have… that's not just something you can put behind you!" Cana said mirthlessly.

"I agree with that…," Mira gulped. She suddenly remembered the scars that she had seen at the hotel after Strider killed the monster in the cavern. Seeing the look, Cana and Mira raised an eyebrow.

"What? What is it?" Cana urged her.

"The last job we went on… Strider got drenched. I… saw him changing. I don't think I've seen such bad scarring in my life. His entire back is… _covered_ in scars and brands," Mira said. The other two were stunned by the revelation.

"You're exaggerating, Mirajane," Erza said, although she couldn't believe what she was saying.

"I'm not. I'm not, Erza. There are three huge ones going down his back. Like… a monster clawed him or something. It's… I… don't know what happened, but… a _lot_ definitely did," Mira said.

"That explains it…," Cana suddenly whispered.

"Explains what?" Erza asked.

"Umm… I ran my hand down his stomach earlier today. There's a lot of what feels like ridges or breaks. I couldn't tell what it was earlier, but if you're right, Mira, I think there might be more scarring on his front," Cana gulped.

"What… happened to him there?" she asked fearfully.

"A lot," was all Erza said.

"I'm… gonna head back to my room. Good night, you guys," Cana said, rushingly exiting. Immediately, she bumped into Bisca, who had a surprised look on her face as well. Cana licked her lips before sighing, nodding at her to follow her. The green haired beauty wasted no time in doing so.

"I'm going to head back as well. I need to go apologize. Thanks, Erza. Again, sorry," Mira said.

"Don't fret, Mira. Umm… let me know how it goes tomorrow," Erza said. With a nod, Mira left.

-o-

"Come in," Strider said as he heard a knocking on the door. He closed the book he was reading and looked to the door, surprised as the white-haired beauty entered.

"Oh, Mira. Hello. What can I do for you?" he asked, getting up.

"Hey. I just wanted to apologize," Mira said softly.

"Apologize? For what?" he asked in confusion.

"For my reaction earlier," she said uneasily, not looking at him.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal," he said.

"I _am_ worried about it. I snapped at you for no reason. I'm so sorry," she said, finally lifting her head up.

"It's fine. I can understand where you're coming from. You were right; if anyone should've told me that story, it should've been you," Strider said warmly. As she looked at him, tears began to well up in her eyes. Worried, Strider crossed the distance between them and enveloped her in a tight hug that she returned just as tightly. She began to cry full force into his chest, her emotions beginning to overwhelm her. Saying nothing, Strider led her to the bed and gently laid down, bringing her on top. She accepted the motion and held on tight, feeling some weight lift off her as he gently rubbed her back in comfort. However, it didn't do much to stem the tears; he would have to wait it out.

Minutes later, Mira slowly began to regain control over herself. She surreptitiously felt his stomach, her heart falling as she confirmed what Cana said; the ridges and breaks felt like more scarring. There didn't feel to be as many as were on his back; however, these seemed to be much longer. Finally, she spoke.

"I was really young when it happened. Our parents had died really early on, so it was up to me to take care of Lisanna and Elfman. It was alright for a while… or as alright as it could be. Then when I was thirteen, my Magic showed for the first time. I didn't even know I was a wizard. A Demon had attacked a church and I ended up using my Takeover on it. I beat the Demon, but the people thought that _I_ was a monster. It was just by luck that I ended up at Fairy Tail. Master Makarov told me I wasn't possessed or anything and he let me join the guild. But I was scared at the time… scared that I might hurt others. I tried to leave but didn't tell my siblings. They caught me quickly, though and showed me that they were working on Takeover Magic as well so I wouldn't feel alone," Mira said, crying again as she did when she found out what they did for her.

"They love you," Strider whispered comfortingly. She nodded into his chest before continuing.

"I wasn't a good person then. I got into fights with everyone; I bullied Macao and Wakaba; Natsu and Gray; and I fought constantly with Erza. We were like sisters, to be honest; just always at each other's throats. Then when I was sixteen, I made S-Class, the year after Erza. When I was seventeen, though… fuck… sorry. When I was seventeen, I made a really stupid choice; I let Elfman and Lisanna accompany me on a mission. I thought I could do anything. We ended up beating The Beast, but then Elfman lost control when he took it over. He attacked me and then Lisanna; but after he saw what he did to her, he reverted back. Her body disappeared and that's when I changed. It just… shocked me so much. I lost my parents… and then I lost my baby sister," Mira said, crying in full force again. She felt Strider rest his lips atop her head and was thankful for the touch.

"I lost my will to fight. I even lost my Magic Power. I couldn't use my Takeover again and Elfman stopped doing full Takeovers as well. He didn't want a repeat of the incident. He finally got control back, though. During our fight against Phantom Lord, he had to use The Beast to save me. And then when Laxus attacked, I had to use my Takeover against Freed. He was so close to killing Elfman, I just snapped. And then… just a few months later, Lisanna came back from Edolas. I've never been so happy… and I had never cried so much," Mira said, her voice shuddering.

"And then… with your fight against that thing. I'm so sorry… I was completely useless. I couldn't… even get the snow out of the way. You could've died… just like them," Mira cried.

"Don't worry about that, Mira. Everything turned out for the best. But… I can understand why you don't like to talk about it. It's draining to discuss something like that. I… thank you for telling me, though. It means a lot," Strider said.

"I trust you," Mira said honestly. Despite his short time in the guild, she had very grown attached to him. After learning more from Erza and Cana, she felt that Strider, at the very least, could understand some of what she had gone through - perhaps even much of it.

"I… went to see Erza after I yelled at you. I'm sorry, Strider… but she told me about some of what had happened to you. I hope you're not angry," Mira said quickly, looking up. Strider frowned before cracking an infinitesimal smile. Bringing a hand up, he gently wiped her tears away. Mira noted that his hands were rough, likely from having been used so much in fighting; but surprisingly, they were the warmest thing she could recall in a long time.

"I understand. Curiosity isn't a problem," he whispered.

"She told me about what happened with your parents… and the man that helped you and named you. I… I understand if you don't want to talk about it, but…," Mira trailed off, leaving it open ended. Strider thought about it before sighing; it was bound to happen sooner or later, he figured.

"I don't want to go into much of it right now. It's late and we should get to sleep soon. That said… what do you want to know?" he asked wearily. Mira gulped; she could tell he didn't want to talk about the subject immediately, but curiosity overwhelmed her; she just had to.

"What happened after your training?" she wondered.

"Let's see… I was four when I arrived there. I started my training maybe a month later after my fever had gone down and I was able to move on my recognizance. My mentor… he began training me in his brand of power - Telekinesis - immediately afterward. I had a knack for it, you could say. I learned the basics in around a year and then began to develop on that for several years afterward. My whole time there, I made excuses to go back to my village to see if anything had changed. Visit after visit, it was the same hellhole as when it was burned down. When I was around nine or ten, however, I left. While child soldiers weren't the norm, you could still find them easily. Young boys were encouraged to pick up the sword at eight or nine, although most never developed it much - either because they died or simply lacked the resource or training to continue - but usually, the former. I tagged up with small groups of freedom fighters here and there; they didn't have to feed me much and I was taught to be fairly resourceful by then. I did whatever I could - scouting, defending, raids, etc. I was the only one in the group that could use Magic to any extent, so I was always involved in something. Built upon my training as well as I could and it was good for a while - we ended up purging the enemy from our little plot of land for a while. Eventually, we were set upon by a larger force. I was away at the time; when I came back, most of the men were killed. I found out from one of the guys that lived for a few hours longer than two of our men hadn't returned from a scouting mission; I found their corpses later on," Strider said, exhaling deeply.

Mira shuddered as he casually recounted his past. His voice was devoid of any emotion, his tone callous and spouting off facts without any inflection. She wondered if he had seen so much death and carnage that it was all by the by for him? Unable to offer any words of comfort, she held him a bit tighter. Strider smiled at the gesture before continuing.

"After that event, I resolved to roam the continent. I had to learn more, train more… I had to do _everything_ more. I joined some forces here and there and made a lot of friends. We all had the same goal, so we could always find something to talk about. It was mostly what we'd do after we got some peace. Ha. Some guys wanted to start a family, others wanted to explore, while others wanted to drink the nights away. All valid goals. Hmm… that's actually around the time that I learned to use Tamer Magic, actually. I had helped an old man out of a forest called Mirkwood. It was famous for being extremely easy to get lost in, but I was able to create sort of telekinetic tethers that I could use to weave in and out. He taught me how to effectively establish connections with animals; immediately after we parted, I began using it on everything. Crebain, Kine of Araw, wrens, Mearas, wargs, ravens. It's a skill that's still paying out in dividends today," he said with a fond chuckle, thinking back to the feathery friend he made on his first job. Mira wanted to ask about the animals he spoke about - the only one she knew of was a raven - but he began talking again.

"But… time flew. A year became two, became five, became ten. I spent those years training and getting as strong as I could. Every year, I found out there was someone stronger or better than me; people that had decades of experience, if not more. So I learned how to adapt. It wasn't enough that I could just manipulate things with my magic; it'd eventually prove useless in one situation or another. So I picked up new things here and there; not very often, but what I did learn was useful. I fought in different conditions - against flying beasts; a massive, water swelling octopus; entire hordes of the enemy by myself. One of my friends that I recruited, later on, taught me his brand of power. Another taught me how to effectively tap my emotions. He recounted a tale of a group of wild people to the north called _'berserkers'_. They could end a state of unhinged rage where nothing, not even deadly wounds, could stop them. It's… not something I use often because of how unpredictable it is, but it's another notch that I added. I joined a small group of fighters again. We did well in removing enemy presence in a small region, but we eventually encountered a large force. It was a massacre on both sides. We managed to win, but only myself and three others survived. Two of them died from their wounds later on," Strider said, his breath shuddering. Mira gripped him tighter as she felt the tears threaten to return and flow again. As she thought about the guild, she didn't think anyone else had a similar upbringing to his. Many of them were orphans, but they quickly found a family in Fairy Tail. With Strider, however, it was battle after battle after battle with seemingly zero rest in-between. Fiore - and Ishgar - hadn't been in a large scale war in a century, as Mira recalled; they had good relations with their neighbors and Alvarez had been quiet. Certainly, no one she could think of had been personally involved in large-scale warfare; the most they dealt with were dark guilds, and even those didn't end up in mass casualties or the slaughter of entire towns. She wondered what she could do or say to comfort him. Strider had an idea of what she was thinking and sighed, running a hand through her hair. She shivered pleasurably at the intimate touch.

"Don't worry about me, Mira. I'm still alive. There' something to be said for that," he whispered.

"No! That should be a given! You… deserved to have a better life than what you had. I'm so sorry," she said, tightening her hold around his neck as she hugged him.

"You're very kind. But there's nothing to be done about that now," he whispered.

"I know. But that doesn't mean that I have to like it," she said. He had no response to that. After a pause, she was about to ask him to continue but he quickly spoke before she could.

"Hey, if it's alright with you, Mira, could we continue this another time? I'm… feeling a bit drained," he said.

"Sure. That's not a problem. If… are you okay with me telling Erza or Cana? I… know they're going to ask me what happened tonight," she said. Strider clicked his tongue before answering.

"Go ahead," he said.

"Alright. Good night, Strider. Sweet dreams," she said, giving him a tight hug.

"To you as well. Here, take this," he said, wrapping his cloak around her; the rain was still pouring. She smiled and thanked him with a kiss on the cheek before turning the lights off and leaving for home. As she as she closed the door, Strider collapsed into his chair, his head resting in his hands as he tried to shake off the haunting memories. It was to no avail; the faces of the dead began to circle around his mind's eye. It shifted into a stream of thought of the events that would finally lead to peace in that God-forsaken land.


	8. The Wizened Dragon

Mira awoke feeling well rested since the first night in the Blue Mountains. She remembered the biting cold, but quickly her thoughts drifted to Strider and how he held her and kept her warm that night; the moment was enough to make her blush and smile. She put on his cloak and walked through the pouring rain to Fairy Tail to open up, but to her surprise, found that someone had already done so for her. As she entered, she spotted Master Makarov sitting on the bar with his eyes closed. Mira gingerly approached, unsure as to whether he was sleeping or meditating.

"Are you alright, Master?" she asked concernedly.

"Hmmm? Oh, good morning Mirajane. What brings you by so early?" he asked, slowly opening his eyes.

"Well, I usually open it, Master. You should know that, considering you hired me. But why are you here so early?" she inquired, taking the cloak off and gently laying it on the bar.

"I was hoping to speak with Strider in private for a bit, but he was in a hurry to leave," Makarov said.

"What? What do you mean!?" Mira asked in surprise.

"He gave me this note," Makarov said gravely. With a trembling hand, Mira took it and began to read.

 _'Good morning, to whoever sees this note after Master Makarov. If you're reading, you might already know that I've left the guild for good,'_ it read. Mira felt as though her heart was ready to burst. She wondered what could've driven him away - was it conversations he had with her, Erza, and Cana last night? Did he decide that Fairy Tail was being far too obtrusive? Gulping, she continued to read.

 _'Nah, I'm just screwing with you.'_

Makarov chuckled as he felt the She-Devil aura come to ahead; he knew exactly what line she had read.

 _'I already explained to Master Makarov, but I had come across an interesting job when I was last scouting the board.'_

 **WIZARD REQUIRED - MASSIVE FLYING BEAST SIGHTED**

 _A large, flying beast has been sighted roaming the mountains north of Hakobe. We're not sure what it is, but it appears to be something in the order of a massive griffin or thunderbird. Regardless, the townsfolk are getting weary and uncomfortable. We request the urgent aid of a wizard in dealing with the problem._

 ** _Location: Mountain range north of Mount Hakobe; location on map_**

 ** _Reward: 750,000 jewel_**

 _'While my last two jobs were exciting, I'd like to try a solo job as well. I thought it best to get an early start so I could come back soon. Thanks in advance.'_

Mira let out the breath she had been holding, feeling her heart beat steady again. While she would've preferred that he had informed her personally, it was fine. So long as she knew that he was coming back, she was happy.

"Oh, thank God…," she whispered, shuddering gently.

"You and Strider seem to be getting along quite well, Mirajane," Master Makarov noted wisely.

"Oh. It's not like that, Master," she said, blushing. It was her job to tease others about their relationships; having the tables turned was decidedly not as fun.

"If you say so," Master Makarov said.

"What did you want to speak with him about?" she wondered as she headed behind the bar.

"This confounded rain. While it is the season, this is far more than we should be getting. He appears to be adept at his Magic, so I wanted to pick his brain about what it could be," Makarov said, looking outside.

"Wouldn't Juvia be a better choice?" Mira said.

"I've spoken to her and Gray about it. Neither have an idea as to what it could be, and Juvia is certain that she isn't the cause; her powers would be drained by now. No… perhaps it could be natural, but I would like to make sure," Makarov said.

-o-

"What?! He took a job without us?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"He's been traveling alone for a long while. I'm sure he just wanted to take a little breather," Mira said placatingly.

"I guess… ugh, would've been nice if he invited us," Gray mumbled.

"I'm sure you two would've destroyed so much, that the reward would be spent before we got it," Lucy said, looking sideways at them. Fire and Ice grumbled as they went back to their seats.

"Mount Hakobe, hmm?" Erza asked.

"Yeah. A flying beast… again," Mira sighed.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. It shouldn't take him too long to finish this request," Erza said.

"I hope you're right," Mira sighed.

"About _last_ night, however," Erza said. Mira looked at her and Cana, whose ears perked up at the mention; seeing her approach Mira and Erza, Bisca came over as well.

"Cana told you?" Mira asked.

"Yeah. I… dunno wait to say, really," Bisca said uneasily. The previous night was an uneasy one for her, filled with dread and nightmares as she tried to doze off. She kept imagining Strider with his shirt off, his entire body bloodied, beaten, and bruised.

"Did… he tell you anything?" Erza asked. Mira paused before asking Kinana to tend to the bar for an hour. She, Erza, Cana, and Bisca hastily left the guild; as they did so, Lucy frowned and followed. As the four weren't in each other's companies very often, it was odd to see them so joined together.

-o-

"That's intense. It sounds like he's been fighting his whole life," Cana said with a frown.

"That does appear to be the case. Did he mention how long it's been since the fighting ended?" Erza inquired.

"No. It probably just ended recently, if I had to guess. I think he mentioned that his first night here. At least, it sounded as though it had just ended and then he decided to come over to Fiore," Mira said.

"I can see why. It doesn't seem as though he has many happy memories of that place," Bisca said.

"Still, it's his home. But… you're right. I can understand why he felt the need to get away from it all," Mira said.

"LUCY! STEP OUT HERE RIGHT THIS INSTANT!" Erza suddenly roared. Mira, Bisca, and Cana deadpanned as the blonde stepped out from behind a wall shivering under the glare of the leader of the team.

"H-h-hey, guys," Lucy said in a small voice.

"Eavesdropping?" Mira asked with a sigh.

"Not at all! I was ju- yes ma'am. Sorry ma'am," Lucy quickly said, figuring the truth would be the easiest way to forgiveness.

"How much did you hear?" Cana asked.

"Umm… most of it I think. I… can't believe that's what its been like for him," Lucy said, shifting uncomfortably.

"We still don't know most of it," Bisca sighed.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"That's just what it was like for him growing up. How the fighting itself was like… I think _that's_ what will have left the biggest impact. And I don't know if he'll want to talk about that as much," she said.

"Can you blame him?" Cana asked mirthlessly.

"Nope. It's… a bad situation all around for him, I think. Jeez… I'm sure that the physical scars ain't all that's there," Bisca said.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked with a frown. The four looked at each other before Mira and Erza began to regale everything for Lucy. With each word, the look of horror increased.

-o-

As they returned to the guild an hour later, Wendy had noted the sullen looks. Her attempts to find out what happened were rebuffed kindly by Erza and Lucy; neither thought that the Dragon Slayer was old enough to know about these kinds of things. As Mira went back to the bar, her thoughts were with Strider. With each drink she poured, each meal she cooked, and each request she approved, she thought about him.

As day turned to night, the worry in her heart grew.

"He's still not back yet," she sighed to Cana who grudgingly nodded. She wanted to talk to him again, but his lack of presence made such a thing difficult. Every time the door to the guild opened, she looked over only to be disappointed that it wasn't him.

"I'm sure he's fine. He is still pretty new here, after all. He's probably just taking in the sights or something," Bisca said, although her tone indicated she was trying to convince herself that such was the case as much as the others.

"I hope you're right," Mira said softly.

"Was a real dick move of him to start off his letter like that, though," Cana grumbled.

"Definitely deserves an ass kicking," Bisca agreed. The rest of the day was a long one for Mira, each hour seemingly slowing down to a crawl. Looking at the clock continuously didn't help matters much.

-o-

The following day was much the same. As Erza approached the bar in the evening, she wore a forlorn expression.

"I wasn't as worried in Macao's case. He's strong, but I can understand the request he took taking a while. With Strider, however… it's surprising that he hasn't returned yet," Erza said.

"I know. He beat an SS-Class monster by himself. Whatever job he took should've been in and out quickly, especially if he flew there. I don't like this," Mira said worriedly.

"If he isn't back by tomorrow night, I'll take the rest of the team to search for him," Erza said.

"Alright," Mira agreed.

"You guys don't think he might've… been… you know," Cana said uneasily.

"No, I don't think so. Unless the creature was a dragon or something similar, he should be able to handle it," Erza said firmly.

"I hope you're right," Cana sighed.

"Shouldn't you be on a request as well, Cana? S-Class Trials are coming up," Erza said.

"Yeah. I'll leave for one after he gets back," Cana said, swilling alcohol around in her cup.

"I wonder who the choices are going to be this year?" Mira wondered, trying to get her mind off the prior subject.

"If I had to guess - Natsu, Gray, and Cana at the very least. Hmm… perhaps Elfman as well; he's done well. Levy, Gajeel, and Juvia as well, I'd say. Bisca and Wendy might be considered, although I think Wendy might be too young. Master has inquired about Strider's performance on his jobs, so perhaps he might get a chance," Erza said.

"What about Lucy?" Mira asked.

"No," Erza replied.

"That's a bit harsh," Cana giggled.

"Unfortunately, I don't think Lucy is quite there yet. Perhaps as a partner, but I don't think she'll be initially chosen," Erza said.

"It's a good crop of choices this year, though. Whoever gets it is going to deserve it. But… it's gonna be hard as well," Mira said cheerfully.

"I'm guessing you two are going to be there as competition. Since Laxus is out and Mystogan isn't here anymore… that leaves Gildarts as well," Cana sighed.

"You know we can't comment on that," Erza smirked.

-o-

As Mira opened up the guild the following morning, she heard thumping upstairs. Knowing that Master Makarov was probably still asleep, her heart began to beat faster as she rushed upstairs. Opening the door, she found Strider as he put on a new, warm shirt.

"Strider!" she cried happily as she ran over to him and gave him a tight hug.

"Hey there, Mira. Good to see you as well. My apologies for taking so long to return. The job took a bit of a turn," Strider said, returning the hug.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she leaned back and frowned.

"It's a bit of a story, to be quite honest. If you don't mind, however, I'd like to wait on telling it. I'll tell you as I tell the team. I'm going to sleep for a little while, so when they get here, can you ask them to come up here? Gajeel as well," Strider said, laying down and closing his eyes.

"Gajeel? Really?" Mira asked in intrigue.

"Yup. Thanks, Mira," Strider said before quickly drifting off into sleep. Mira smiled gently at his resting figure and pulled a blanket over him before taking her leave. As she got to work, her mind was racing, coming up with ideas of what might've happened.

-o-

The rest of the team was assembled by afternoon, some of them taking their sweet time to get back. As they and Gajeel were all there, Mira went over.

"What is it, Mira?" Erza inquired.

"Strider came back this morning. He wants to see you guys and Gajeel," she said.

"Gajeel? Why him?" Natsu asked.

"I'm not sure. All he said was to ask you guys to come to his room when you were all here. It's about what happened on his request," Mira said. Erza nodded and went to grab the Dragon Slayer. As she ran it by him, he raised an eyebrow but put up no protest as he followed them to Strider's room. Seeing them, Cana and Bisca nodded at each other and followed as well, intrigued.

As they entered his room, Strider was still asleep. Mira gently shook him, waking him up. Slightly groggy, he sat on his bed while others took some chairs in the room or leaned against the wall. He smiled at Bisca and Cana who both waved at him before looking at the rest.

"Hello, everyone. Gajeel, Lily - good to see you again," Strider said.

"Likewise," Lily nodded.

"Alright, so it's best that I just jump into what I needed to talk to you about. I took a request slightly past Mount Hakobe. The posting mentioned that there was a large, flying beast in the mountains and it had some of the townsfolk on edge. It seemed to be a relatively simple job but turned out to be far from it. They thought it was a thunderbird or a griffon - both relatively good guesses, I suppose. However, it turned out to be neither. It was a dragon. Not a big one; nor was it in the healthiest condition. But it was a dragon nonetheless," Strider said.

One could hear only the whistling of the wind and the pattering of the rain on the window as everyone went quiet, holding their breaths. Gajeel, Wendy, and Natsu each had their mouths hanging slightly open as they let the realization dawn on them. The three looked at each other before looking back at Strider. As he looked at the others, he saw they were just as surprised; Cana and Bisca's mouths were wide opened while the color had drained from Lucy, Erza, and Mira.

"NO WAY!" Lucy shrieked.

"Way," Strider responded.

"You're screwing with us! There's no way!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Not at all. Completely serious," Strider solemnly replied.

"How the hell could it be a dragon?!" Gajeel asked.

"It wasn't as large as other dragons. In terms of size, I'd say it was as big as the bird from the first request we all did - maybe even a tad smaller. A runt, in terms of dragons," Strider answered.

"What do you mean it wasn't healthy?" Wendy asked with a frown.

"I think it's best if you start at the top," Lily said. Strider nodded and leaned forward as he began to recount the experience.

-o-

 _Strider had finally ascended to the peak of the mountain where the villagers had claimed to have seen the creature set down. They mentioned that it was a thunderbird or a griffon, but neither hypothesis resonated with him. Both would have a hard time living in such a cold climate, preferring something temperate. His mind immediately went to a wyvern, but they were regarded to be extremely vicious. He doubted a wyvern would've made its lair here and not attacked the townspeople below. The powerful and continuous snowstorm limited the possibilities to but a few creatures._

 _Completely covered in snow, Strider slowly made his way through the knee-high material. It wasn't long until he came across his first clue. Roughly three feet in length, two feet in width, and around a foot deep - the tracks had a single rear talon as well as four frontal ones._

 _'It's large enough to be a wyvern, but the digits are wrong. But… no. It couldn't be… could it?' he thought. He looked around, on edge as his thoughts drifted to the one thing it could be. He followed the tracks deeper and deeper into the mountain range. The peaks began to ascend yet again as he walked in a shallow valley. The snow continued pour harder, but he decided against casting a spell against it; the importance of the camouflage it offered couldn't be stated enough. It was several hours until he finally ended up at a massive cave opening, into which the tracks led._

 _'Its lair,' Strider thought, gingerly entering. As he smelt and felt around, he tried to get a feeling for what might live here. It was surprisingly small, only as big as the guild hall. As he walked around it, he noted the scratch marks on the flower as well as the bones of what appeared to be cattle._

 _'Hunting? Best to wait outside,' he thought as he exited. A short distance away was a snowbank that he could hide behind. Burying himself inside and leaving just a small window to look through, he began the long and arduous wait. With each breath, Strider brought his heart rate down and steadied his body until he wasn't moving at all besides the odd blink here and there. Hours turned into several as the dark descended and passed, turning to the light of a new morning._

 _Finally, he heard it. The sound of wings beating thundered through the falling snow. He listened closely and watched with an eagle eye as he awaited to confirm his suspicion. The snowfall was still too heavy to make a clear determination, but once the creature passed into the lair he would be able to tell._

 _Standing a mighty ten feet tall and twenty-five feet long nose to tail, Strider was in awe. Although he had seen the sight many times in life, each new meeting was one that took his breath away. Even on all fours, it was large and domineering; a creature that inspired dread and beauty in all who saw it. It had sharp, keen eyes that could see miles ahead; no doubt it might've even noted Strider's position already. Two sharp serrated rows of teeth were bared as it looked around. The snout was sharp and long and its neck stretched for a length as it led into a muscular, although wizened, body that was adorned with leathery golden skin and scales. To his intrigue, the dragon appeared almost frail and old. He could make out the yellow underbelly, its weakest point; as well as a Vulcan wrapped within its long and prehensile tail. It let out a roar to alert anyone nearby that it was home. Only one thought went through Strider's mind as the creature entered its lair._

 _'Dragon.'_

 _It was shocking that he found one in this cave of all places. He never expected that a dragon might live so close to civilization and not attack. They were much stronger than wyverns, as well as more aggressive. The ones he had previously encountered preferred large territories to themselves. Strider began the easier-said-than-done process of calming himself; his heart beat had ascended yet again at the sight. A slew of questions sprung to mind._

 _'Why is it so small? Why does it look so frail and weak? It appeared to be timid; usually, they don't have to make their presence known. Why is it here of all places? Why isn't it attacking the town? How did it get here without being seen?'_

 _Thinking on his stomach, Strider began to think of ways to approach the situation. It never mattered how weak or old a dragon looked; to rush into a fight with one was a mistake almost no one lived to regret. He remembered that his first encounter with one nearly cost him his life; he wouldn't repeat that again. He kept making observations, trying to use his senses as much as possible to outline the scenario. As the dragon entered, it moved gingerly; he figured that it was likely hurt or sick, which could also explain its reticence to attack the town. Any resistance they put up would make its life harder and the sighting of a dragon would call many heroes to this place - heroes that could put up significant resistance._

 _'Getting the Vulcan was probably difficult for it. Then again… why not attack an outpost? It could swoop in and out easier than larger dragons, and these outposts are well tended. That would delay help. There's also smaller villages with just tens of people it could attack. Unless…,' Strider thought, as the realization slowly dawned on him. It seemed as though the dragon had no will to fight; perhaps it wanted to live its last days out in peace. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for the creature, although he quickly overcame it; he couldn't be sure of that just yet._

 _'It seems as though dragons are more myth than reality here. Damn… Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel probably would've loved to see this. But I can't risk it getting away,' Strider thought. He decided on a course of action and slowly, gingerly approached the cave. All dragons were intelligent to some degree; at least the ones he had encountered were. As he reached the mouth of the cave, he heard the dragon growl before speaking._

 _"Who goes there?!" a weak but gruff voice said._

 _"I mean you no harm," Strider answered._

 _"You carry a blade," it answered._

 _"That I will not draw unless necessary," he answered._

 _"Ah. You must be the wizard that the villagers hired to kill me, I surmise. It took them long enough," the dragon said. Strider heard a soft thud as it laid down yet again. He assumed that his hypothesis on its injury or weakness was accurate; at the very least, it didn't have the will to fight. Most dragons breathed fire first, asked questions never._

 _"That's not entirely true. They put out a request to be rid of you. They think that you're a thunderbird or a griffon, not a dragon," Strider said._

 _"If I refuse to leave?" it inquired._

 _"We'll take it as it comes. I don't want to shed blood if it can be helped - especially not draconic blood," Strider said._

 _"I can smell blood on you. Despite my frailty, my senses are as they once were. I could smell it through the snow. You reek of it - like a freshly dead corpse. It doesn't wash off. I know this," it said wisely. Strider was quiet for a while before answering._

 _"You're astute. What can I call you? It'd make our communication easier," Strider replied._

 _"Glaedr. Yourself?" the dragon countered._

 _"Strider," he replied._

 _"You gave your name to a dragon. Do you think this wise, 'Strider'?" Glaedr inquired._

 _"I doubt your ability to put up a fight, so I've no need to deceive you," Strider answered._

 _"Ha. Very well. What do you wish to do now, Strider?" Glaedr asked._

 _"To talk, if you would oblige me," Strider answered._

 _"You know what I meant," Glaedr replied, although he didn't seem particularly irritated by the deflection._

 _"As I said, I don't wish to shed blood. Regardless, by the end of our talk, a final decision will have been made," Strider said._

 _"Mmm. Come out of your hiding place. We shall converse," Glaedr said. Strider did as he requested and walked into the cave. He saw the golden dragon lying down in front of a small fire, following him with its gaze. It didn't attack; although the keen and wizened eyes pierced Strider's black ones with a ferocious intensity._

 _"A well-made cloak," Glaedr said in admiration._

 _"Oh? You know of it?" Strider asked, intrigued._

 _"Only what has been passed through draconic history through the ages. The world used to be much smaller, much more open. On such a wide scale of time, the glaciating communication between lands is recent," Glaedr said._

 _"That much is true," Strider nodded. "You appear to be ill, Glaedr."_

 _"An impressive observation," the dragon replied sarcastically._

 _"What's wrong?" Strider wondered._

 _"Nothing you can aid with, Strider. My condition is a result of actions from long ago. To recount the table would require time that neither you or I have. Dragon stories are told in terms of months and years, not minutes or hours," Glaedr said._

 _"That much is true," Strider sighed._

 _"You do not appear to fear me," the dragon said._

 _"You haven't given me a reason to fear you," Strider said._

 _"You've interacted with dragons before, it seems; your smell and your manner of tone shows that you know how to treat with us. Might I know these dragons?" the dragon asked._

 _"If you've journeyed north, you might have," Strider answered._

 _"Ah. Unfortunate, then. I've only ever known this realm of Ishgar. Of course, I have heard stories about the dragons, drakes, and wyrms of the Northern and Eastern Continents. Our kind in Ishgar mostly considered them a myth, as no dragon in the recent age has traveled there. However, I was always interested in that place. The myths and legends have been passed down through my particular line. My ancestors were more scholarly than then my brutish brethren. If you hail from there as you claim, am I correct in understanding that the legends are more than such? That dragon exist in the north?" Glaedr asked. Strider noted a hint of urgency in his voice; that of a dead man trying to make a final peace before passing._

 _"They do indeed. Many have carved out regions for themselves, as land is plentiful yet again. The largest keep tot he more ravaged and destroyed areas; one, in particular, prefers to make his home in a jagged mountain range. The population of my homeland isn't so large that its pushed other beings out of their habitats, so countless dragons thrives - although they are removed from the public eye._

 _"I see. That's interesting and heartening to hear," Glaedr said._

 _"I am curious - why did you choose to settle here?" Strider asked._

 _"I chose it as a spot to live out the rest of my days in peace - although when they should end, I do not know. I am not like most of my kind; I am smaller, a runt of a dragon. I also never had a problem with humans. Peace coexistence would've been preferable. Much of my brethren took offense to such," Glaedr said._

 _"Size isn't everything," Strider shrugged._

 _"It is if you wish to survive as a dragon. There are few of us that are prone to having conversationalist tendencies," Glaedr said._

 _"Huh. Maybe in Ishgar. They're far more fond of the tongue in the North," Strider said._

 _"Perhaps I was born in the wrong age and place, then. But you won't find many of us are anymore," Glaedr said._

 _"I wish to ask you something a little more personal. Do you know of any dragons by the name of Igneel, Metallicana, or Grandina?" Strider inquired._

 _"An interesting question, especially as you named names. Why do you ask?" Glaedr wondered._

 _"I'm acquainted with their adopted children," Strider said._

 _"Ah. The Dragon Slayers?" Glaedr asked._

 _"You know of them?" Strider asked in surprise._

 _"I do not know the children at all, and the other three I know of, but not intimately. Igneel, The Fire Dragon King. A powerful dragon that is quite scarred, thanks to the fights that he participated in with other dragons. Metallicana, The Iron Dragon. A bit brutish, but not horrendous. I met him once and while he did not comment on me, he didn't wish to squabble either. And Grandina, The Sky Dragon. Beautiful as dragons go, although unrestrained in tongue; she often angered many dragons through her words. Along with a few other dragons, they were kinder and wished for coexistence," Glaedr said._

 _"Are any of them still around? Their children wish to see them again," Strider said._

 _"Assuming Acnologia didn't learn of them, they might be," Glaedr answered._

 _"Acnologia?" Strider asked._

 _"The Black Dragon," Glaedr said. He noted that Strider's lips twitched slightly. "What is so amusing?"_

 _"I know a Black Dragon where I come from. He's not fond of sharing the title," Strider said._

 _"I see. But yes, Acnologia. He is a fearsome dragon in Ishgarian tales, although the wise assume his existence is true. His case is different from many other dragons, however. He was once a man - a mortal man, like most - but a brutal one. Centuries ago, he was known for the slaying of countless dragons. Bathing in their blood, Acnologia began to mutate and take on the form of a dragon. Even as he did, however, he continued slaying them - until one day, he simply vanished. No one knows his current location. Keep in mind that dragons are able to live in conditions that are inhospitable to humans. You will not find Acnologia as easily as you found me," Glaedr said._

 _"I see. He became a dragon?" Strider wondered._

 _"You do not seem particularly surprised," Glaedr said._

 _"There are… cases in which an event such as that has happened, although I can't recall one with dragons," Strider said._

 _"I can smell that on you as well," Glaedr noted._

 _"What?" Strider asked._

 _"Draconic blood. It has a… distinct odor to dragons. A blind dragon a hundred miles away could smell it. You reek of it," Glaedr said._

 _"I've had my encounters," Strider replied._

 _"Ha. You're evasive, but as you wish," Glaedr said._

 _"This Acnologia - is he why dragons are so rare, then?" Strider asked._

 _"Him and several other Dragon Slayers. Dragon Slayer magic was taught to humans by dragons. As any reasonable person might deduce, a faction of Slayers broke off and waged war against those that taught them; Acnologia was one such human. He single handedly tore through countless hordes of dragons. At the end of his reign of terror, only a handful were left. I imagine the three you mentioned might be examples. I am another; I surprise a few more might exist as well," Glaedr said._

 _"I see. Acnologia…," Strider trailed off._

 _"Should he be within a hundred miles of you, I assume you will meet him. All dragons are interested in those that are powerful enough to slay our kind," Glaedr said._

 _"Here's hoping against it," Strider said._

 _"Hmph. Now, what do you intend to do with me?" Glaedr asked._

 _"I will leave you in peace," Strider answered._

 _"The request?" Glaedr wondered._

 _"I cannot drive an intelligent creature from its home, nor kill it in cold blood," Strider answered._

 _"You like," Glaedr stated. A moment of silence passed before the dragon spoke again. "Kill me."_

 _"What?" Strider asked, taken aback._

 _"You heard me. Kill me," Glaedr said._

 _"I just said tha-," Strider began, before being cut off._

 _"I am aware of what you said. However, I am asking you this. Kill me," Glaedr restated. "Please," he added after another moment of silence._

 _"I…," Strider trailed off._

 _"This is not a life that I am living; it is a sloughing along. I've lived for centuries already, but I see no reason to continue. The world has irrevocably changed. The era of dragons has been over for a long, long time. I've overstayed my welcome," Glaedr said tiredly._

 _"That doesn't mean you need to end your life, though!" Strider exclaimed._

 _"What do you suggest I do, then? I cannot kill a human being or other intelligent creatures; even the Vulcan took a significant amount of power, as they are strong enough to put up a fight. To conquer is not in my nature, so I do not wish to carve out a piece of land for myself" Glaedr said. Strider thought on the question for several minutes before answering._

 _"Fly north," he whispered._

 _"What?" Glaedr asked in surprise._

 _"Fly north. You said you never left Ishgar, right? Fly north!" Strider stated again._

 _"I do not have the energy," Glaedr said. As he looked at him, however, Strider saw the gears turning in his head._

 _"You might not be as large as other dragons, but you're still a dragon, are you not? You have much more energy than you might realize - especially considering you've likely had a few hearty meals here. You do not have to make the journey in a long flight. Pace yourself. If I could make it Ishgar, I've no reason to believe you won't make it there. There are island chains along the way, although they are only reachable by flight as the water spouts and whirlpools make them inaccessible any other way. You have the advantage," Strider said. The dragon continued to look at Strider for a long while before answering._

 _"Perhaps you may be wiser than your years suggest, Strider," Glaedr said._

 _"I hope such is the case," Strider replied._

 _"I shall think on your idea. I bid you farewell for the night," Glaedr said._

 _"And I you, Glaedr. I will remain close by," Strider said._

 _"Very well," Glaedr said as Strider began to walk away. "And Strider?"_

 _"Yes?" Strider asked._

 _"Thank you for the conversation," Glaedr said, bowing slightly. Strider nodded and bowed low in respect before exiting and making camp for the night._

 _'A dragon. I can't believe it…," he thought, trailing off with a smile as the snow continued to fall._

 _-o-_

 _The following morning, Strider awoke and immediately went to the cave. It was empty, the fire put out, and Glaedr was gone. He was surprised that the dragon was able to leave so lithely, but his interest was quickly piqued as he saw two spheres on the ground - lacrima. As he approached, one of them immediately started. In the sphere, he saw Glaedr's face and began to hear his voice echo throughout the cave._

 _"If you're seeing this message, Strider, it means that I have taken my leave. My brethren would consider me the King of Fools for doing so, but I've decided to heed your judgment. I have left the cave and am journeying north on your suggestion. If I make it, I shall be the first dragon in ages to make the journey. Should I fail along the way, my original wish will be granted. Next to this lacrima, you will find another; a communication lacrima. I quite enjoyed our talk; it's the first I've communicated with anyone, much less a human, in over a century. I had almost forgotten that your kind wasn't as foolish as we thought you to be. I shall happily converse with you until the end of my days, which may yet be delayed if I find vigor in my journey. Alas, apart from my knowledge, I've no hoard to leave you. That said, you can tell the villagers your job was a success," Glaedr said. As soon as the message ended, Strider activated the communication lacrima._

 _"Strider. I'm happy to see that you're well," Glaedr's voice came through._

 _"And I you, Glaedr. I'm even happier to hear that you took my advice," Strider said with a smile._

 _"As am I. I've already crossed Valmar and am over the Great Sea as we speak. Interestingly, the town appears to be empty," Glaedr said._

 _"Really?" Strider asked in surprise._

 _"Yes. I saw a horde of humans many miles south, however, and traveling away. It appears to be an exodus," Glaedr said._

 _"My first request was in Valmar. The townsfolk are nomads. It appears as though they've decided to pick up and settle elsewhere. You could rest at the fortress if you wish; it belong to me," Strider said._

 _"I see. Perhaps I might've earlier, but I feel much more energetic than I have in a while. I suspect I shall not set down for a great while - not until an island, at least," Glaedr said._

 _"I wish you well on the journey, Glaedr, and I offer my assistance as I can. A little more advice, if I may. Continue on your journey north, even as you pass the land. At a dragon's speed, it won't be more than a few days until the smell of volcanic ashes reaches you. Use it to hone in on where you should be heading; a place with three volcanos called Thangorodrim within a mountain range known as the Iron Mountains. The range has a distinct and distorted shape, so it should be noticeable. Within a hundred miles of reaching it, you'll notice another smell; that of a dragon. I'm acquainted with this one that makes his residence there. He's a black dragon, although not the one you mentioned. Tell him about your conversation with me, or contact me through this lacrima if preferable. At the very least, he will help and protect you," Strider said._

 _"Your kindness is refreshing, Strider. I will heed your advice and will contact you upon my arrival in your land. Until then, my friend," Glaedr said._

 _"Until then, Glaedr," Strider said as the dragon ended the communication. Strider let out a sigh and grinned wide at the night he had had; one of the best in a long, long time. Spirits high, he went back to town and collected his reward before heading back to Fairy Tail._

 _-o-_

As Strider finished the story, he saw everyone's jaws hanging low, frozen in disbelief.

 _'Ha. If they fell any further, they'd be on the ground,'_ he thought.

"There's no way," Gajeel finally said.

"I'm completely serious," Strider said.

"It… can't be true," Erza said, not hearing him.

"It is," Strider nodded.

"HOLD ON! A MAN TURNED INTO A DRAGON?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"But I don't wanna!" Wendy cried out.

"I don't think you have to worry about that, Wendy. It only happens to those that bathe in dragons blood. I suspect a form of magic was involved. But here, if you still don't believe me," Strider said, holding out the memory lacrima. He began to replay it for them. Quickly, the deep voice of the dragon hit them. They saw the beautiful gold color of his skin and scales and the wizened black eyes.

"ITSADRAGON!" Lucy yelled.

"It is," Strider said.

"How are you so calm about this?!" Cana asked aghast.

"I've met dragons several times before. You don't really ever get over the initial shock, but I was able to ruminate on my meeting with Glaedr," Strider said.

"A dragon! OH MANS THAT'S SO AWESOME! But… is he really gone, then!? I wanted to talk to him!" Natsu cried out.

"I'm afraid he is. He's over the Great Sea right now. I have the communication lacrima, so I'll let you guys speak with him in a few weeks after I'm sure that he's made it to land. You didn't see how weak he was. I want him completely focused on the journey," Strider said firmly. Natsu was about to reply but Erza shook her head; she was in agreement with Strider.

"This Acnologia, though… you think he killed our dragons?" Gajeel asked. Wendy whimpered at the thought of Grandina being dead. Strider smiled and gave her a hug that she returned tightly before leaning against him. Mira and Erza exchanged a small smile, as did Bisca and Cana as they saw that.

"I don't think so. Dragons can live in very inhospitable conditions, so I don't think that it's too far out there to say they might've gotten to a place where he couldn't find them. Plus, it seems as though you had seen them fairly recently. A dragon fight isn't something that goes completely unnoticed unless you're in a ridiculously secluded place. However, it doesn't appear as though he has any insight on where they might be," Strider said.

"Any lead is worth pursuing at this point, I think," Lily said.

"Aye!" Happy said.

"I agree with Lily. No matter how small…," Carla said as she flew to Wendy's shoulder and comforted her.

"If not, we gotta find this Acnologia! He might know Igneel!" Natsu said.

"I'm not sure if we'll be finding him anytime soon. It's not very easy to hunt down a dragon that doesn't want to be found. Even then, most of them have a short temper," Strider said.

"Strider is right. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Erza said.

"Bu-," Natsu began before Strider rested a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax. We'll get it done," he said kindly. Natsu looked at him for a second before he grinned and nodded. Gajeel, Lily, Natsu, Happy, Wendy, and Carla left to go think about the story Strider had told them, with Gray following close behind. Erza, Mira, Cana, Lucy, and Bisca stuck around, however, as Strider laid down again.

"Tired?" Cana wondered.

"Oh yeah. That place is pretty cold, and I barely got any sleep the last two nights. I think I'm going to pass out again, if it's alright with you, Erza, Lucy," Strider said with an audible exhale.

"Sure. Get some rest," Erza said before leaving and taking the others with her.

"Didn't you want to talk to him?" Lucy asked as they stood outside his door.

"Yes, but now isn't the time. Let's let him rest, first," Erza said.

"How do we bring that up, though?" Mira asked with a frown.

"That… I am unsure of," Erza said.

"I don't think we should do it as a group, though. Kind of seems… pushy," Cana said.

"Agreed," Bisca said.

"We'll do it as it comes our way, then," Erza said. They nodded in agreement before heading downstairs. Strider listened to their conversation and sighed.

 _'Guess I'll have to give them more,'_ he thought. Keeping secretive about it wouldn't do him any favors.

-o-

Night had fallen and Strider had finally joined the team.

"You might have preferred to stay awake until a few hours from now," Erza noted.

"Don't remind me. Guess I'll have to stay awake a little longer than usual so I can get back into rhythm.

Soon the door opened again; and this time, there was a prominent reaction. A tall and muscular man with a bald head, a pair of black oval-shaped marks above his eyes, and a frown stepped in. He wore diagonal black belts around his torso, his midsection bare. Covering the top half was a blue and white striped mantle with gold tassels. He wore a pair of tight green bands around his arms and a fur-lined loincloth around his waist, going down and wrapping around his legs. Accompanying him was an elderly, bald, and cross-dressed man. He wore a purple spaghetti strap shirt with a gold hoop necklace. He had on red lipstick and blush on either cheek and a small pair of wings on his back.

"Jura Neekis and Master Bob," Erza said in surprise.

"Woah! What're they doing here?" Lucy asked, just as surprised.

"You two know them?" Strider asked in interest. His eyes fell on Jura, who noted him as he sat with Team Natsu. Strider could sense his power all the way over there; the man had a presence about him.

"Jura is a Wizard Saint and we worked with him before. Master Bob leads the Blue Pegasus guild," Lucy said.

"Wizard Saint?" Strider inquired.

"It's a title given to an exceptionally powerful wizard as chosen by the Magic Council. They don't even have to belong to a guild. Master Makarov is one of them as well. Probably stronger than Jura, if I really had to say," Erza said.

"He's powerful," Strider said.

"Oh yeah. Guys insanely strong!" Natsu said excitedly. The two walked over to Makarov, who seemed to be expecting them. He took them to his second-floor office while everyone else began to gossip about their visit.

"Why are they here?" Erza wondered.

"Not sure. Appears to be business with Master Makarov, however," Strider said.

"Last time we partnered with them, it was because of a dark guild - the Oracion Seis," Lucy said with a shudder. The fight truly tested their mettle.

"Hopefully this is something benign," Erza sighed before looking at Strider. "Might I speak with you in private?"

"Sure. Let's head out," Strider nodded. As he and Erza left, Lucy took a seat at the bar with Cana, Bisca, and Mira - each of whom watched in interest.

"Guess she's up first," Mira said.

-o-

"What's up?" Strider asked as he and Erza walked down to the shoreline behind the guild hall. The rain poured into the sea, swelling it somewhat. The raging waves crashed against the rocks, spraying foam everywhere. He took a deep breath, having an idea of what she wanted to talk about.

"I wanted to talk about what you told me a few days ago," Erza said as she looked out into the distance, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"What about it?" Strider asked.

"I want to make sure that… you're alright," she said, turning to him. "I know, better than most perhaps, what happens when you sustain that much trauma. I kept it bottled up for a long time. The team only found out a few months ago, in fact. But it sounds much more… continual in your case."

"Ah. Thank you… for the offer, I suppose. But I'm fine. Or, as fine as I could hope to be in this case," Strider said.

"You might not be as fine as you think," Erza said. Strider was silent as he stared at her. She saw his fist clench and thought he was going to punch her for a second before he finally sighed and walked towards the shoreline. She watched him kneel down, running his hand through the wet sand. Scooping it up, he let it fall in clumps before repeating the motion.

"Maybe. Maybe not. As I said, the stories take an emotional toll on me. While I'm not averse to speaking about it, I'd rather not relive it constantly. This isn't the first time I've regaled them, but one hopes that each time is the last," Strider said.

"Of course. I don't want to sound insensitive to how you're feeling. Just… the offer will always remain," Erza said, putting a handle on his left shoulder. To her surprise, he recoiled at the touch.

"Ah. Sorry. I… sustained an injury to my left shoulder a while ago. It tends to throb at the worst moments," Strider said.

"I see. What kind of injury?" she inquired.

"It's magic related if that's what you're asking. No remedy," Strider said.

"May I…?" she asked, pointing to his shoulder. Strider looked at her before shaking his head. Erza was about to protest but sighed instead. She guided him back to a standing position before embracing him as he did for her when she told her story. Strider returned the hug tightly, gently rubbing her back.

"You're part of our guild and our team now. That means that you're family. We're here for family," she said.

"Thank you," Strider replied. Smiling, Erza led him back to the guild.

-o-

"Yo Erza, Strider! We've been looking for you! Master needs us!" Gray shouted as they reentered. Shrugging at each other, they followed him to Master Makarov's office. The rest of the team was gathered there, along with Gajeel and Juvia. As Strider smiled at her, she blushed as deep red.

"Ah, you're back - good. Strider, this is Jura Neekis and this is Bob, an old friend, and Fairy Tail wizard. Gentlemen, this is Strider - the newest addition to our guild," Makarov said.

"A pleasure," Strider nodded, shaking their hands.

"Oh, Mocky - he's a handsome one," Bob giggled, eliciting a laugh from Strider.

"Greeting, Strider," Jura said, nodding at him.

"Jura," Strider nodded back.

"We teamed up with their guilds - Jura is in Lamia Scale and Bob is the master of Blue Pegasus - before in a fight against a dark guild, the Oracion Seis. Blue Pegasus has been investigating the rainfall recently, which is far more than what we should be getting - especially at this time. They recently discovered what appears to be a… anomaly. Bob, perhaps you'd better explain," Makarov said.

"Mhm. So like Mocky was saying, an anomaly. It's centered near the shore on the borders of Fiore and Seven, another country to the northeast. The shape of the countries forms a sort of bay, in the middle of which is another large island with an old temple and a population of a few hundred. The heaviest rainfall is happening there - so heavy, in fact, that it's threatening to swallow the island up!" Bob said with a flair of drama.

"Indeed. Whatever is causing this inclement weather appears to be something either old or powerful. As strong as the Wizard Saints are, I don't know of any that can alter the weather for such a long time on a country wide scale. Reports indicate that the countries of Bosco, Iceberg, Stella, and northwestern Minstrel are also receiving alarming amounts of rain. We've decided to join our forces again to investigate - just in case. I'll be leading a team from Lamia Scale, and Master Bob will have someone lead a team from Blue Pegasus. As we've worked together before, we thought it best to include you," Jura said.

"Thank you for thinking of us, Jura, Master Bob. We accept this mission," Erza said.

"Erza, shouldn't we put this to a vote or something?!" Lucy whined, remembering the fight against the Seis.

"All in favor?" Erza asked. Everyone but Lucy agreed.

"Ugh…," the blonde groaned.

"Wait - what's _he_ doing here, then?!" Natsu asked, pointing at Gajeel.

"Gajeel is incredibly capable. I'll likely be sending Levy, Freed, and some of the others along as well. Levy is as smart as Hibiki, so they should be able to figure out whatever is going on," Makarov said.

"We shall set out tonight, then," Erza said.

"We've reserved a living space close to the shore. After we regroup, we'll head towards the island," Jura said. With that, he and Bob took their leave.

"Wonder what this could be…," Erza trailed off thoughtfully.

"If it's some kind of force, it appears to be extremely powerful. I suppose it _could_ be a natural phenomenon, though," Strider said.

"Think that's likely?" Lucy asked hopefully.

"Ah… no," Strider answered lamely, dashing her hopes immediately.

"Whatever it is, we'll soon find out. Prepare to leave!" Erza told them before exiting, Strider in tow.

-o-

"Getting ready to go?" Mira asked as she popped her head into Strider's room.

"More or less. I don't carry much on me, so there's never really a period in which I need to get ready," he said as he took a seat on the edge of his bed.

"Pocket dimensions come in useful," she said as she sat next to him.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"I… Erza spoke with you earlier, I think," Mira said.

"She did. You want to talk about the same thing, I assume?" Strider inquired.

"Mmm… I dunno. I just wanted to make sure that you're alright," Mira said.

"I am. I thank you and Erza for your sympathy, but it's not necessary," Strider said.

"You're wrong," Mira said quietly.

"What?" Strider inquired.

"I said you're wrong. It _is_ necessary. I don't know what war is like… that's true. But I _do_ know that you can't go through something like and come out fine. I lost Lisanna and it… nearly killed me. I lost my ability to use my magic. I lost my will to fight. If it wasn't for Fairy Tail, I'm not sure what I would've done," Mira said, tearing up as she remembered the events. She felt Strider put an arm around her and pull her in. As she rested her head against his shoulder, she ran a hand up and down his back, surreptitiously feeling the scars.

"When you say you lost your magic…," Strider said. It was the second time Mira had mentioned that happening.

"I couldn't use my Takeover anymore. Even when we fought against Phantom Lord, I couldn't use it. It was what took Lisanna away from me… so I just sealed it away. I never wanted to become that again," Mira said.

"But you can use it now?" Strider asked.

"Sometimes. I'm more comfortable using it now, but it hasn't been necessary yet. I'm afraid to use it around her, though," Mira said.

"I'm sure she doesn't blame you two. At all," Strider said comfortingly.

"I know she doesn't. But that doesn't make it any easier," Mira said, holding his arm.

"I suppose I can understand that. It's not easy to overcome," Strider said.

"What?" Mira asked.

"Regret," he sighed.

"What do you regret?" she asked.

"I'm afraid I don't have that kind of time," he said with a dry laugh. Mira frowned as she gave him a tight hug. "Anyways, I ought to get going. We'll talk when I get back," he said, getting up.

"Alright," she said, before stopping him.

"Hmm?" he wondered. Mira leaned on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. With a mad blush, she made a hasty exit, although Strider could swear he saw her smiling. Smiling as well, he headed downstairs.

-o-

"Shall we?" Erza asked.

"Let's. Are we taking a train?" Strider asked.

"For as close as we can get. It's a short hike from the last stop," Erza said. With that, they headed towards the train station and onwards to their destination.


	9. Three Guilds, One Job

"So I understand why we're going along. Master Makarov asked us," Gray said.

"Right," Erza replied, eating her cake as she looked out at the rain. While standing in it wasn't her favorite thing, from the warm exterior of the train, it made for a stunning and peaceful sight.

"Why is _she_ with us?" Gray asked, hiking her thumb at Juvia, who was sitting with Gajeel and stealing glances at Strider.

"Is that not obvious? She's a Water Wizard. Of course she'd help us on a request like this," Erza said.

"How much are we getting paid? Because I _really_ need to make rent again," Lucy grumbled.

"Didn't Strider give you a loan?" Wendy wondered.

"I uh… uhh… uhhh….," Lucy trailed off, blushing deeply.

"Spent it on frivolities?" Erza sighed.

"Sorry Strider! I just couldn't resist!" Lucy cried out. Strider chuckled at her behavior but nodded.

"Don't worry. It was a gift, so you don't have to pay me back. That said, perhaps it's best that you set aside capital _just_ for your living arrangements," Strider said.

"I wouldn't have that trouble if Natsu and Gray didn't break everything!" Lucy whined.

"Wendy, Erza, Juvia… your guys rent is 100,000 jewel a month?" Strider inquired.

"Uh-huh," they said in unison.

"Lucy, how do you have problems keeping up, yet they don't?" Strider wondered.

"Lucy spends a lot of money on clothes and stuff," Happy said.

"That would appear to be the case," Lily agreed.

"Indeed," Carla said.

"You guys are so mean," she whined.

"Ha. My apologies. Don't worry, I'm sure we'll make _something_ from this offer. If not, we can hit some jobs when we get back. Perhaps you might try a solo job? At the very least, you won't have to pay for Natsu and Gray," Strider said.

"It's Flame Brains fault!" Gray said.

"What?! You're the one that starts it!" Natsu said.

"You wanna go?!" Gray asked.

"LETS G-" Natsu said before both were floored by a punch from Erza.

"If you destroy this train, you will pay for it in blood," she said menacingly.

"Scary," Lucy said as she hugged Wendy close in fright.

-o-

"Is it just me or is it raining even harder here?!" Lucy cried out as they stepped out. It wasn't just her, the others thought. Save for Juvia and Strider, they had to cover their faces. The Exceeds hid behind their partners while Wendy held on to Strider from behind as the rain came down like a million needles, threatening to cut them at every swipe. Strider attempted to use his telekinesis to hold the rain back, but found that it was unable to do so to any significant effect; the rain was coming down too fast and hard for him to cover them in a wide area. He did so for Wendy, who seemed to be the most bothered by it and the group continued on their way.

"This is unnatural," Juvia said with a frown.

"Think we got that," Gajeel said in agreement.

"No, this is more than that. When I cause rain, it comes down drip drop drip, slow and peaceful for the most part. Even I cannot create something like this. This rain is powerful and cutting; threatening and destructive. I cannot explain it any other way. Whatever the cause, it cannot be natural," Juvia said.

"I'd have to agree with her on this one, Erza. I've never seen anything like it," Gray said, his arm shielding his face to the best of its abilities. The rain hit it with a force, however; Strider noticed his friends wincing here and there.

"Definitely not good for an Iron Dragon Slayer," Lily said.

"What?! This is nothing!" Gajeel said confidently, although his grimace said otherwise.

"We have… a long hike, you said?" Lucy asked, stumbling. Strider caught her and held her closely.

"Thanks," she said.

"It's fine. Here," he said, draping his cloak around her.

"WOAH!" Lucy cried out.

"What?!" Juvia replied.

"I can't even feel the rain with this thing!" she said excitedly.

"It's able to withstand quite a bit of impact. You should be safe in it," Strider said as he put the hood on her. She blushed gently and gave him a smile and hug before continuing on her way.

"Must…," Juvia said.

"Hmm?" Strider asked.

"Kill…," she continued.

"Ahh… what?" Strider asked in surprise.

"LUCY!" she glared at the blonde, who let out a little yelp before scrambling towards Erza. Gray sighed and put a hand on Strider's shoulder.

"You're gonna have to deal with this now. She can be a bit jealous," he said sagely.

"Ah. Gray, a quick question," Strider said.

"Hmm?" Gray said.

"Are you gay?" Strider inquired. Gajeel and Natsu burst out laughing, while Erza and Lucy giggled. Juvia just looked on curiously, while Wendy turned a bright red.

"WHAT?! WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ASK THAT?!" Gray screamed, striking a hilarious pose as he shed his clothes in surprise.

"I'm sorry - I didn't mean to sound so callous. I'm alright with it, just so you know. Just… well, Juvia is quite beautiful. A bit clingy, certainly; and when you tell someone no, they probably ought to back off. But she appears mostly innocent. I just assumed that you swung the other way," Strider said.

"WE ARE NOT HAVING THIS DISCUSSION - NOW OR EVER!" he groaned loudly.

"Ok, ok, I understand. My bad. I just figured that considering how close you and Natsu-," he began before being cut off.

"WAIT! WHY ARE YOU DRAGGING ME INTO THIS?!" Natsu exclaimed. Gajeel, Lucy, and Erza had nearly doubled over in laughter, while Juvia couldn't help but giggle loudly as well. Wendy, Strider saw, had turned so red that the area around her began to steam; he imagined that _she_ imagined the two Wizards in the throes of passion.

"Well… it's just that you two bicker and fight so often. It's reminiscent of an old, married couple," Strider said.

"THAT'S IT! ONCE WE GET BACK TO MAGNOLIA, I'M KICKING YOUR ASS!" Gray yelled.

"ME TOO!" Natsu roared in agreement. Glaring at Gray, the two began to fight each other as the others continued their walk a ways ahead.

"I have never seen them react like that," Erza laughed.

"I've never seen you laugh, I think. It's nice," Strider said with a kind smile. She blushed at the compliment but nodded her thanks.

"I never really pegged them together… now that I think about it, I dunno if they're into guys or girls," Lucy thought.

"Let's talk about something else!" Wendy yelped adorably. Strider chuckled and ruffled her hair, resting his hand on her head as they continued.

"Right. So who are we supposed to be meeting there?" Strider wondered.

"It's going to be the teams we were with last time, I believe. Lamia Scale will likely be sending Lyon Vastia, a childhood friend of Gray's from when they trained under the same master together, Ur; and Sherry Blendy, a friend of Lyon's. I believe she's in love with him, although I can't be sure. Blue Pegasus will be sending… they… will… be sending… sen…ding…," Erza said, trailing off and shuddering.

"Erza? Are you alright?" Strider asked concernedly.

"They're gonna be sending three pretty boys and their Ace. That's about the long and short of it. You'll see when we get there. Trust me… it's much easier to see than have us explain it to you," Lucy said with a forlorn expression. Strider looked at Gajeel who shrugged before looking ahead.

-o-

As they arrived, Lucy immediately took off Strider's cloak before jumping into a warm sleeping bag, cooing at the nice feeling.

"I'm never leaving this sleeping bag. Ever," she declared. The others began to get comfortable as well; Erza, Wendy, Natsu, Gray, and Gajeel sat on their own sleeping bags, while Strider sat on a couch with Juvia.

"Looks like we're first," the Water Wizard noted.

"Makes sense. We left a few hours after Master Bob and Jura visited us. They likely had to inform their guilds before setting out. They should be here within a few hours as well," Erza said.

"Didn't Master Makarov say something about sending Levy as well?" Lucy inquired.

"Only if we need her help. Assuming Hibiki is unable to deliver, we'll call for Levy. Otherwise, it won't be necessary," Erza said.

"Juvia - have you tried to do anything about the rain?" Lucy asked.

"I have in Magnolia. I was unable to do anything to affect it. This rain appears to almost be disjointed from my own abilities. It's troubling, to say the least," she said.

"What do you guys think the problem might be?" Wendy asked.

"I'm not sure. A temple is located on the island, so my initial guess would be an extremely powerful spirit or something similar. I'm not aware of many monsters that can control the weather, however," Erza said.

"WAIT! What if it's like a… WATER DRAGON?!" Natsu asked excitedly.

"I've never heard of one. Otherwise, there'd be a Water Dragon Slayer or something - and I've _definitely_ never heard of those. Metallicana didn't say anything about 'em either," Gajeel said gruffly.

"But think about it! It'd make sense, right?!" Natsu pressed.

"But we can only control the elements around us. How would a Water Dragon or Water Dragon Slayer control the rain over a huge area?" Wendy asked with a frown. Natsu deflated and slunk into his own sleeping bag as Wendy apologized profusely for knocking his excitement down. Lucy and Gray sighed and looked at him with pity in their eyes. Anything that related to dragons in such a way made him excited.

"You said whatever it is, isn't natural. Do you have an idea on what it _could_ be?" Lucy asked Juvia.

"I do not, no," she shook her head. The group kept guessing on what the possibilities were for an hour before the door finally opened again. Jura walked in first, steadfast as a colossus in the face of the rain. He nodded at them as he led in two others. The first was a young, slim fit man with silver hair that was mopped all around his head. He had dark eyes and wore a slight smile as his eyes locked on Gray. Strider assumed him to be Lyon Vastia. He wore a red dress shirt with a pink trip as well as a white overcoat with blue fur cuffs and a blue fur collar over it. His jeans were silver and covered in several diamond patterns.

Alongside him was a beautiful woman with pink hair and blue eyes. She wore a pink dress with black frills that hugged her body well, as well as a pink overcoat. Her hair was sopping wet as it clung to her coat and she was shivering.

"Lyon," Gray said, getting to his feet and staring at his rival.

"Gr- wow," Lyon said as he suddenly set his eyes upon Juvia. She blushed as they connected but was soon spared any advances as Jura grunted.

"Gray. Good to see you again," Lyon said casually as he took to another sleeping bag.

"Ugh! I can't believe this rain!" Sherry complained.

"I don't think any of us can," Lucy sighed.

"And whose this?" Lyon wondered, his eyes passing over Gajeel and Strider.

"We'll save introductions for when everyone is here," Jura said.

"Very well," Lyon agreed before beginning to dry off. They didn't have to wait long for the door to open yet again. This time, four men walked in. One was a short and stout man with a large, rectangular face, prominent cheekbones, dark eyes, and some stubble under his nose and on his chin. His reddish hair clung to his face, much like the white suit he wore.

Flanking him were three handsome men. One had brownish-blonde hair and wore a light blue dress shirt and a black suit; a tan man with black hair that was wearing a blue shirt as well, along with a black suit; and a smaller boy with blonde hair wearing a green shirt and jacket as well as a striped white and purple tie.

"The parfum of this rain is unpleasant. Ah! But it is drastically overtaken by the sweetest parfum my nose has beheld. This parfum belongs to only ONE woman - ERZA!" the short man said, pointing his forefinger and middle fingers at Erza, who Strider noted shivered violently.

"Who are these clowns?" Gajeel grumbled, pointing at the three handsome men.

"Hibiki," the brownish-blonde man said.

"Ren," the tan man said.

"And I'm Eve," the short one said.

"And we are… The Trimens!" the said in unison, striking a pose behind their leader.

"Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki at your service, man," the short man said.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Gajeel grumbled.

"This is Gajeel. An Iron Dragon Slayer," Lucy said.

"Like Natsu and lovely little Wendy?" Hibiki asked in interest.

"Yup. And that's Juvia," Lucy said. Immediately, the Trimens were kneeling in front of her and presenting her with gifts.

"Why so blue?" Hibiki asked seductively.

"A beautiful lady like you shouldn't be so down and blue. Here," Eve said, presenting her with a flower.

"Here's an extra coat. Don't think I brought specially for you," Ren said dramatically. Strider raised an eyebrow and soon had to duck as the Trimens were blown back a bit with sprays of water, leaving an uncomfortable Juvia holding on to Strider's arm.

"So weird," she said.

"WHAT?!" Gray exclaimed; she always did the same to him!

"And this is Strider. Our newest member," Lucy said.

"A pleasure," he nodded. They nodded back at him in recognition before beginning to hit on Lucy, Sherry, Wendy, and Erza, all of whom rebuffed their advances. As they got to Erza, they had a special kind of fear stricken into their hearts.

"You guys seem to be a bit old for Wendy, no?" Strider said, amused.

"There's no age limit when it comes to love," Hibiki said.

"Ah. You guys don't have an age of consent in Fiore, then?" Strider asked in surprise.

"Of - WAIT, WHAT?!" Lucy asked, horrified at the implication.

"OF COURSE WE DO! YOU THREE - AWAY FROM WENDY AT ONCE!" Erza shouted, hugging the girl so close, she began to suffocate.

"These three are pretty creepy," Gajeel said.

"Agreed," Lily nodded. The Trimens slumped towards their sleeping bags while everyone else got comfortable as well.

"Strider, aren't you going to sleep as well?" Juvia asked as she got comfortable in her own.

"I think it's best that someone stay awake, just in case. I don't mind," Strider said.

"Are you sure? You didn't get much rest after that job," Erza said.

"I'm sure. I got plenty on the train," he said.

"Do we have a plan for tomorrow?" Lily asked.

"We'll take a boat to the island and meet with some of the townsfolk before heading to the temple. I'll map it out once we arrive and we'll go from there," Hibiki said.

"Sounds like a fairly bare bones plan. What else can you tell us?" Erza inquired.

"This island's been around for the past seven hundred years. For the first few centuries, the water levels shifted significantly because of heavy rainfall so there was always a part of it underwater. The rain would eventually let up and allow the waters to recede, letting more of the island breathe. One particular portion was never submerged, though - a wide swath of land they called the _Parched Plain_ because it was always so dry. They built a temple on the Plain to two deities, representing the sun and the rainfall. For the past few hundred years, the water hasn't risen too much - but that all changed a few weeks ago when it started raining like no tomorrow. Some of the townsfolk have had to go further inland to get away from the approaching shoreline. It's more rain than Fiore has had in a while as well, and we're not really prepared for it. It's our job to figure out what's causing it and if it's related to this island. As you could tell, the weather is much worse here," Hibiki said.

"I see. You think it might be the work of these two deities?" Erza asked.

"Not really, if I'm honest. I think it's probably a sort of weather-related phenomenon - a once in a century storm. That said, we can't rule anything out," Hibiki sighed.

"Agreed. Very well. Rest well, everyone. We have an important day ahead of us," Erza said. The others sounded off in agreement and soon enough, everyone quickly began the arduous process of falling asleep with a tiring morning holding sway over them; no one wanting to talk much after spending so long in the rain. As they went down, Strider opened his pocket dimension and reached in before withdrawing something. He held a beautifully crafted pipe in his hands with a long and bright black stem adorned with gold rings. The bowl was crafted in a dragons facade, its jaws wide open to allow the pipe-weed to be stuffed in. He took a pinch from the dimension and put it in, igniting it with a bit of conjured flame. Breathing deeply, he held the smoke in his mouth before softly exhaling it and chanting under his breath. He smiled as he watched the smoke take shape, that of a small boat, and begin to waft around the room.

 _"Eärendil was a mariner_

 _that tarried in Arvernien;_

 _he built a boat of timber felled_

 _in Nimbrethil to journey in;_

 _her sails he wove of silver fair_

 _of silver were her lanterns made,_

 _her prow was fashioned like a swan,_

 _and light upon her banners laid._

 _In panoply of ancient kings,_

 _in chainéd rings he armored him;_

 _his shining shield was scored with runs_

 _to ward all wounds and harm from him;_

 _his bow was made of dragon-horn,_

 _his arrows shorn of ebony,_

 _of silver was his habergeon,_

 _his scabbard of chalcedony;_

 _his sword of steel was valiant,_

 _of adamant his helmet tall,_

 _an eagle-plume upon his crest,_

 _upon his breast an emerald."_ Strider continued to sing under his breath as he passed the night away. As he continued, Erza listened intently with her eyes closed, taking in each word.

 _'It sounds like he's singing… something from his homeland. I understand the words… most at least; but… what is it about? It sounds beautiful…,'_ she thought as she let his soothing voice carry her to sleep. Some of the others were listening as well as they tried to fall asleep.

 _'Eärendil? Arvernien? Nimb…rethil? I wonder what those words mean. Maybe… he can tell me about his home. It's gotta be more than war. There has to be some beauty there,'_ Lucy thought, a gentle smile on her lips as she continued to listen. Some of the song was of fighting, she could tell; but other parts were peaceful and beautiful, talking about the sea and passages of stanzas of exploration and travel.

 _'Pretty,'_ Wendy thought as she snuggled with Carla, who was listening intently as well. The guild, for all their rambunctiousness, wasn't prone to breaking out in song unless Gajeel took the stage. His songs were never as melancholy as this one seemed to be, however.

 _'That's some damn good singing and writing,'_ Gajeel thought, wondering if it was Strider's work. _'I don't do duets, but might have to make an exception in his case.'_

 _"From Evereven's lofty hills_

 _where softly silver fountains fall_

 _his wings him bore, a wandering light,_

 _beyond the mighty Mountain Wall._

 _From World's End then he turned away,_

 _and yearned again to find afar_

 _his home through shadow journeying,_

 _and burning as an island star_

 _on high above the mists he came,_

 _a distant flame before the Sun,_

 _a wonder ere the waking dawn_

 _where grey the Norland waters run._

 _And over Middle-earth he passed_

 _and heard at last the weeping sore_

 _of women and of elven-maids_

 _in Elder Days, in years of yore._

 _But on him mighty doom was laid,_

 _till Moon should fade, an orbéd star_

 _to pass, and tarry never more_

 _on Hither Shores where mortals are;_

 _for ever still a herald on_

 _an errand that should never rest_

 _to bear his shining lamp afar,_

 _the Flammifer of Westernesse,"_ Strider ended, taking a deep inhale before looking at the ground and letting it go. Erza chanced a look towards him and saw the disconsolate expression he wore. Frowning as she finally drifted off to sleep, she wondered what the song meant to him.

-o-

"Did anything happen last night?" Erza asked as she got up and stretched, shivering in the cold building.

"Nothing out of the ordinary. The rain seemed to come down harder for a bit, but that may have been my imagination. Otherwise, it was as calm as a storm could be," Strider said.

"The rain _really_ doesn't b-b-bother you?" Lucy asked as she yawned awake as well, cutely rubbing her eyes.

"Not at all. It's quite peaceful. That said, it does pose a threat to those people on the island. If it's not natural, we'll have to find a way to stop it. Unrestrained weather of any kind for an extended period can be dangerous," Strider said.

"Agreed. AWAKE EVERYONE! We head out in fifteen minutes," Erza ordered before heading to a room to get ready as well.

-o-

As they stepped out, they were greeted by another sight. A flash of lightning tore across the sky before sounding out like a vicious whip crack, startling Lucy and Wendy, both of whom clung to Strider for safety.

"It appears it really _is_ worse here," Lily said.

"Quite worse. If the rain continues for many more weeks, I feel that the water might swell further," Juvia said worriedly as she looked towards an island in the bay.

"Here's our boat," Jura said, getting into a large fishing boat.

"This rickety thing?!" Lucy asked fearfully.

"Uhh… No. Way. Happy! Let's go!" Natsu said. Happy wistfully looked up and then at Carla and Lily, both of whom shook their heads.

"I don't think Happy, Carla, or Lily will be able to get much altitude here. I think you're going to have to tough it out, Natsu," Strider said. With a gulp and Wendy's Troia to help him, Natsu stepped in and closed his eyes, Happy comforting him. The others, except for Strider, followed.

"Well? Come on," Erza said.

"I think I'll head there ahead of you guys and scope it out," Strider said, retreating back a bit.

"How are you going to get there without us?" Hibiki wondered. Strider winked at them before he suddenly erupted into the air with a massive burst of energy. His team was taken by surprise; the few times they had seen him fly, he was gentle to rise and set down. However, the force cratered the ground below him. They saw his figure cut a path towards the island at a rapid pace.

"Woah," Gray said, eyes wide open.

"No kidding. That's awesome," Natsu said excitedly.

"Is he a Wind Wizard?" Jura asked Erza as they pushed off, just as impressed by the display.

"No. Telekinesis," she said, smiling.

"Impressive, man," Ichiya said, pointing at his receding figure.

"Appears a bit cocky," Lyon noted.

"This coming from _you?!_ " Gray asked, aghast. Few people he knew were as arrogant or cocky as Lyon.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lyon retorted.

"If you two destroy this boat, I will have your heads," Erza said menacingly. Both gulped and bowed out, not willing to raise her ire.

"He's a recent member?" Sherry asked.

"He is. A month or so," Lucy said.

"Handsome," Sherry hummed.

"Ye - WHAT?!" Lucy asked, turning red.

"Don't tell me you don't agree," Sherry said.

"Well…," Lucy trailed off.

"Mhm. Thought so," Sherry giggled.

"Didn't think we'd be working with you guys so soon after that one job," Natsu said, looking at the groups.

"Nor did we. But, duty calls," Eve said cheerfully.

"Still seems like overkill," Gajeel said.

"Better safe than sorry, especially if there's a powerful threat," Jura said, continuing to row as Wendy used her magic to propel them rapidly forward.

"Ah, so Wendy-," Hibiki began before Erza punched him hard, sighing in displeasure. Eve and Ren sweat dropped and decided to stop hitting on the girls, for the time being, focusing on what might lay ahead.

"Should we head directly for the temple?" Erza inquired.

"Let's talk to the locals first, and then head there. If there's anything they can tell us, it'll be helpful," Hibiki said.

"Very well," Erza agreed.

-o-

As they arrived, they saw that Strider was patiently waiting for them on the shoreline. With him were what appeared to be one of the locals. One was an elderly man with a short white beard and white hair, leaning on a walking stick and wearing furred clothes.

"Ah, hello, young Wizards. Thank you for coming to our humble island. My name is Eurotas. Follow me," he said, leading them up a short hill towards a small village.

"Who is he?" Erza wondered.

"An elder of this village. He's well versed in the mythology of the island. He's given us access to the temple, so long as we have a guide with us. They hold it in high regard," Strider said.

"Someone to guide us?" Erza asked as she, Jura, and Ichiya walked with Strider.

"Yeah. I suppose it'll be someone from the village that knows their way around. Better than exploring ourselves, I figure," Strider said.

"Agreed. Eurotas?" Jura said.

"Yes, young man?" the old man replied in a weary voice.

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind filling us in on the details now? This rainfall has spread around several countries, but it appears to be particularly focused in this region," the Wizard Saint said.

"Yes, that is the case. Where to begin… I suppose the temple on the Parched Plain would be ideal. It was built long before my time, by our ancestors. The stones that are laid were pulled from the bay around you and piled high as an offering to our Goddess and God - those of the rain and the sun. We've been very blessed, despite the extremes the weather sometimes took. The elements worked in concert for the past several centuries. Our catch has been healthy, our crop fruitful. But a little over a month ago - _before_ it afflicted the rest of the land - rain started coming down with a ferocity we haven't experienced before. If you look around on the shore you landed upon, you might notice stilts and such below the water; we are prepared for the increase in water level, but this was too much. Some of our homes have been washed away into the Great Sea and we fear if this continues, the village might be next. We have been constantly praying at the temple but…," the old man trailed off.

"But what?" Erza wondered.

"The temple has two parts to it. One that rises above ground towards the sun; and another that stretched below into a system of caverns, where we sometimes leave our offerings. The waters of the bay swell with the rain and offer us a wonderful living and we try to be mindful of such. But recently, the caverns have begun to flood and some of the water has seeped into the temple. We fear that the temple might be in danger of flooding, and the resulting water trickling into the town," Eurotas said.

"Are you suggesting that water might come out of it… like a volcano?" Strider inquired.

"Such a result is unlikely, but… possible. It hasn't happened before, so I cannot say for certain if it will change now. That is our worst case scenario, I think; one that we would avoid at any cost," Eurtoas said.

"What do you think the reasoning might be behind the rain?" Jura asked.

"The God and Goddess," Eurotas said as he looked up wistfully and sighed.

"I'm sorry?" Erza said.

"It's obvious to us. The God and Goddess are angry and out of concert. Why else would we have such dreadful weather?" the elder said.

"Have you been leaving offerings constantly?" Strider wondered.

"We have indeed. Fish, crop, finery, and more. Yes, they do not appear to be happy," Eurotas said. "My greatest fear is that this weather continues. While the impact on us would be great, the impact on the rest of the world would be far greater. When one element outweighs another, the results are catastrophic."

"That much is true," Jura said.

"What Magic do you all specialize in?" Eurotas asked.

"I use Earth Magic," Jura said.

"I see. You must be Wizard Saint Jura, then," the old man said wisely.

"Yes, sir," he nodded.

"And I use Requip. My companions use Fire, Iron, and Sky Dragon Slaying Magic, as well as Ice, Water, and Telekinesis," Erza said.

"Water?" the old man asked, suddenly stopping.

"Yes. I am a Water Mage," Juvia said.

"Marvelous," he breathed, looking at her in awe before continuing again. Juvia looked at Strider who shrugged.

 _'I suppose Water is held in very high regard here,'_ he thought.

"And I'm curious - what do you all use?" Strider asked, looking at the others.

"Ice Magic," Lyon said.

"I use Dolls, doll," Sherry said as she sidled close with Strider.

"Snow Magic," Eve said.

"Air," Ren answered.

"Telepathy and Archive Magic," Hibiki said.

"Archive?" Strider asked in interest.

"It's a Caster Magic that allows me to store a significant amount of information - on geography, different kinds of magic, different uses, and much more. I can also transfer the information to another," Hibiki said.

"That's amazing," Strider said.

"You think so?" Lucy asked.

"Of course. Information makes all the difference," Strider said. Hibiki smiled and nodded; not many understood his magic.

"And I use Parfum Magic, man," Icihiya said.

"Oh? What's that?" Strider wondered.

"My various smells allow me to trigger various status-affecting spells. From stopping pain to curing poison to increasing strength. Parfum is power," Ichiya said dramatically.

"Amazing. It appears there are as many kinds of magic as there are Wizards," Strider said quietly.

"That's a reasonable conclusion," Jura nodded.

"We're almost there," Eurotas said.

-o-

As the large group got settled in Eurotas's house, they were greeted by a beautiful girl. She had waist-length orange hair and porcelain white skin. Her lips were curved into a gentle smile as her sapphire blue eyes washed over them. She surprisingly wore a blue flower-patterned dress and seemed to be in content.

"Hello. My name is Tiasa. It's a pleasure to meet you all," she said extending a hand to them.

"Such a beautiful maiden," Hibiki said, going to her side and putting an arm around her.

"Shall I keep you warm?" Eve asked, putting a coat around her. Before Ren approached, however, Erza reeled them back and gave each a vicious smack. Tiasa giggled as she greeted the others.

"A pleasure," she said, extending a hand to Strider.

"The pleasure is all mine, m'lady," he said, gently kissing it. She blushed, although continued to smile as she continued.

"My granddaughter, Tiasa. She's been helping me for as long as I can remember now. When you all are ready, she can take you to the temple," Eurotas said.

"Wonderful. We can go now," Erza said.

"So soon? Can't we re-," Lucy was about to ask before Erza flashed her a look that said no.

"Let's go, then," Tiasa said, leading them out. Almost everyone shivered a bit as they left the warm hearth so quickly; save for Wendy, who was covered by Striders telekinesis; Juvia, whom the rain didn't bother; Strider, whom the rain didn't bother; Lucy, who was still wearing the warm cloak; and Tiasa, who seemed to enjoy it.

"Gray, Lyon - you two are Ice Wizards. Why does the rain bother you?" Strider wondered.

"It's less how cold it is and more how painful it feels here," Lyon said, covering his face.

"It doesn't seem to bother you, Strider," Tiasa said as she looked at him.

"I admit that I enjoy it," he said.

"That's rare. It's not often we get people that enjoy the rain. What stands out to you about it?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand the question," Strider replied.

"Why do you enjoy the rain?" she rephrased.

"Hmm… the petrichor smell that lingers afterward, the refreshing feeling you get when you stand in it. After a hot and arid spell, I can't think of many things better than heavy rainfall. Sometimes, the coziness you feel when you watch it from a warm hearth. And of course, the… _romantic_ possibilities," Strider said as he flashed her a charming smile. Tiasa returned the smile as she dug into his eyes with her blue ones, gently biting her lip. The Trimens groaned while the others looked between them.

"I agree with you. On all points," she said as she slowed a bit to match his pace.

"But what about you? It appears as though you've been at the center of it all, yet you're dressed more for a romantic getaway than the rain," Strider said.

"I've loved it since I was a little girl. This islands always gotten more rainfall than other parts of the land. The people respect it but… I _love_ it. As you said, the smell afterward and the refreshing feeling. I prefer to be out in it when it comes down, even when it's as hard as this," Tiasa said, spreading her arms out a bit as the rain pelted her.

"Doesn't it hurt?" Lucy asked, a few drops cutting across her face.

"Not really. It just feels nice. But I can understand that not everyone feels that way," she said, smiling at the blonde.

"Your grandfather mentioned something about the Gods being out of concert. What exactly did he mean by that?" Jura inquired.

"It's an old legend. We have a Goddess of Rainfall, Oya; and a God of the Sun, Tohil. Both are extremely important figures in our island's history. My grandfather and many of the others believe that Oya and Tohil are angry with each other, which is the reason behind the weather," Tiasa sighed.

"What do you think?" Erza asked.

"I can't say. I don't know, I suppose, is more accurate. The legend says that Oya and Tohil were in love with each other, which is why this island has been habitable - because they love and work together in making sure it always gets enough rain and sun. If they are angry with each other, I… can't say why," Tiasa said.

"Don't tell me you're buying this crap," Gajeel whispered to Erza, who shot him a look.

"It is… difficult to believe that _that_ might be the reason behind all of this," Erza said tentatively.

"I do not blame you for disbelieving us. I would appreciate you not insulting us, however," she said to Gajeel, who just grunted in agreement.

"What other reasons could there be?" Strider inquired.

"I cannot say. Perhaps it could be a natural phenomenon, but I can't think of anything that would cause it," Tiasa shrugged.

"I'm curious, are you a Wizard?" Wendy wondered.

"Oh! Yes, I am. A Water Wizard, although I'm not very good," she said with a nervous laugh.

"Really? Juvia's a Water Wizard as well!" Wendy said.

"Oh?" Tiasa asked in surprise, looking at Juvia.

"Indeed," she said, demonstrating by forming some orbs of water that began to fly around.

"Wow. That's amazing," Tiasa said.

"What can you do?" Juvia inquired.

"Oh… I can't do much. I've never had much opportunity to develop my magic, unfortunately. Umm… I can make small waves like this," Tiasa said, swaying her hands in front of her. The others looked on and saw small ripples began to appear in front of where her hands were. In a small area, the rain stopped following and billowed away from her. Once it was several feet away, it splashed onto the ground with a loud _splash._

"Like I said… not very good," Tiasa sighed.

"It takes time to develop your magic," Erza said kindly.

"How come you haven't done so?" Juvia inquired.

"It's never been necessary here. I've lived on the island for my entire life, like everyone else. We don't often leave," Tiasa said.

"What about supplies?" Jura inquired.

"Everything is taken care of. We have enough food and water, good shelter, and healers for when we get sick. It's not glitzy, but… it's loving," Tiasa said with a smile.

"Haven't you ever wanted to leave, though?" Natsu frowned.

"Well… sure, I guess I've had thoughts about it. But I haven't had a reason to," Tiasa said. Most of the others exchanged a glance, save for Strider, Erza, Jura, Ichiya, and Juvia; all were looked at Tiasa's back.

"Since you can use Magic, have you ever thought of joining a guild?" Erza asked.

"Once or twice… but I don't think any guild would take me. I'm really a novice," Tiasa said.

"Nonsense. Everyone starts somewhere," Erza said.

"What guilds do you all belong too?" Tiasa wondered.

"Lamia Scale," Jura, Lyon, and Sherry said in unison.

"Blue Pegasus," The Trimens and Ichiya said in unison.

"I've heard of both of those guilds, I think," Tiasa said.

"How? If you don't leave the island, I mean," Lyon said.

"We don't leave it, but many do come here. The island has some of the best fishing spots in all of Ishgar. We keep up to date," Tiasa giggled; it appeared as though some of the others were just as surprised. "We're not an uncontacted tribe, you know."

"And we're from Fairy Tail," Erza said.

"Oh. You guys are the troublemakers?" Tiasa asked. Everyone laughed a bit as Erza, Wendy, Juvia, and Lucy groaned audibly while Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu began bickering about why they were called that.

"It's not our fault! It's the guys in our guild that cause the problems! These two in particular!" Lucy blamed Natsu and Gray.

"Ah. So you're a troublemaker as well?" Tiasa asked Strider.

"I only joined recently, so I haven't had the opportunity yet. I like to think that I'm gentlemanly enough to not raise a ruckus, though," he replied.

-o-

The temple was had a blueish-grey facade to it. It stood several stories high in a square pyramid type architecture with multiple walkways and entrances that helped one reach the top. At the base, there was a large entrance that would allow them to walk through in just a few rows. Getting inside, safe from the rain, they felt a chill go down their spine.

"The temple is always cold," Tiasa said, not shivering at all.

"Used to it?" Strider asked.

"I am. I've come up here often. Don't worry, you'll settle quickly," she assured them.

"What should we do now?" Gray asked Erza.

"There are 3 stories and a cavern below, correct?" Erza asked Tiasa.

"Yes. This is the base floor, and there are two upper floors. The caverns are fairly large, but there aren't many different rooms so they shouldn't be difficult to cover. The caverns can be accessed through there," Tiasa said, pointing at an uncovered staircase that led down.

"Have you all attempted doing that yet?" Jura asked.

"I'm not sure how you mean," Tiasa said.

"Have you tried to find out if this really is the root of the rain?" Jura rephrased.

"We've made our offerings, but nothing more than that. Umm… no one on the island is really prepared to do much more than that. We're not Wizards, and the one who is - me - well, I don't know where to start," Tiasa said.

"I see. Hmm… The Trimens will stay here. Hibiki will use his Archive Magic to communicate with the rest of us," Erza said.

"Agreed, my love," Ichiya said, pointing at Erza, who shuddered.

"Lucy, Wendy, Sherry, and I will take the second floor. Jura and Ichiya will take the top floor. Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Lyon will explore one part of the caverns, and Tiasa, Juvia, and Strider will explore another," Erza said.

"Wait! Why do I have to be paired with him?!" Gray and Lyon demanded, pointing at each other while Gajeel and Natsu did the same.

"Because that way you can continue bickering amongst yourselves instead of dragging everyone else in as well," Erza said.

"Look at it this way, guys - if you come across a threat, the first person to beat it down will officially be the strongest among you. Think of it as a competition. Who will emerge victorious among the two Ice Wizards and the two Dragon Slayers?" Strider wondered. As he said that, Gray and Lyon looked at and gave each other an evil smirk, while Natsu and Gajeel did the same - before Natsu quickly tore off towards caverns.

"IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Natsu yelled. Not noticing the stairs were wet, he soon began to tumble.

"IN YOUR DREAMS, SALAMANDER!" Gajeel roared, tearing after him with a furious run; he soon fell as well.

"NOT A CHANCE IN HELL THAT I'M GOING TO LOSE TO ANY OF YOU!" Gray screamed, falling as Gajeel and Natsu did.

"YOU'LL LOSE TO ME, GRAY!" Lyon yelled, following and not learning a lesson. Within a second, each was out of sight, determined to prove that they were the strongest the guilds had to offer.

"Well executed," Erza said.

"Indeed. Playing to their egos. That said, they are quite powerful. I've no doubt that they will be fine. Perhaps this competition might even make them work a bit harder," Jura said.

"Shall we, my good man?" Ichiya asked Jura. With a nod, they both began to ascend the staircase.

"Keep us updated," Erza ordered Hibiki, who nodded. She, Sherry, Lucy, and Wendy headed to the second floor; while Strider, Juvia, and Tiasa headed to the cavern.

-o-

"Perhaps some light would do us good," Strider said as he pulled something out of his pocket. Juvia and Tiasa were both surprised at a sudden bright light that began to emanate from his hand. Holding it aloft, the room they were ignited, light dancing off of the wet and slimy walls, bringing an aura of peace and beauty to them. As they looked around, it wasn't too bright or too dark; and looking directly at the source, it danced in concert and peace with their eyes as opposed to stabbing at them like other bright lights.

"That's amazing. What is it?" Juvia asked. It was a small, crystal phial that was filled with some liquid. The light seemed to come directly from it, although the magic, in particular, was foreign to Juvia and Tiasa. Both had seen and used lacrima's, but none had produced such a beautiful, warm, and heartening glow.

"A gift from a friend back home," Strider said with a smile, turning the phial over in his hands. With a deep sigh, he continued; looking at each other, Juvia and Tiasa followed.

"Where are you from, Strider?" Tiasa wondered.

"I came to Fiore from the Northern Continent," he said.

"Wait - what? How? No one has made that journey," Tiasa said, frowning.

"My Telekinesis Magic allows me to fly. It was a long journey and I took a few tumbles… but I made it here eventually. Suffice it to say that it isn't surprising why no boats have ever crossed. I doubt anything short of something built for long distance flight, like a dragon, could make that journey with ease," Strider said.

"Too bad dragons don't exist anymore," Tiasa said. Strider's lip twitched, but he didn't reply. "So how long ago did you join Fairy Tail? You mentioned you only did so recently."

"It's been around a month or so, I believe," Strider said.

"And what did you do before?" she inquired.

"I traveled for a while after I arrived in Ishgar before making my way to Magnolia and Fairy Tail," Strider said.

"I don't think I've asked - did you seek us out in particular?" Juvia wondered.

"Well, the rumors of a particularly rambunctious guild certainly reached me. That said, I didn't really have any grand plans. It was the first time I inquired about any guild," Strider said.

"I'm curious… do you find it fulfilling?" Tiasa asked uncertainly.

"Hmm… I don't know if I'm qualified to answer that yet. I've found that I've become attached to the guildmates rather quickly. Master Makarov wasn't joking when he said that we're all like family. It's… heartwarming. I don't have any regrets, that much is certain, and I have been enjoying my time in the guild," Strider said.

"I see…," Tiasa trailed off.

"Why do you ask?" Strider wondered.

"Mmm…," she hummed, biting her lip as she looked around. "I love this island and the people. I love the water and the rain. But… I don't know. It is stifling."

"You wish to leave?" Strider asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps… a part of me does. But I cannot leave my grandfather," she said.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Strider wondered.

"Oh… no. I already know he'd be against it," she said with a sad smile.

"It's a difficult position. That said, you do have to look for what's best for you. But it's your decision to make," Juvia said.

"What has your experience in Fairy Tail been like?" Tiasa asked.

"Mine… well… I used to be part of another guild that had a war with Fairy Tail. Eventually, my old guild was disbanded after we lost, but Master Makarov welcomed me with open arms. It's… been one of the best experiences of my life, if I had to put it into words. Everyone is so kind here, unlike how it was in Phantom Lord. They genuinely care about you," Juvia said with a small smile. Strider smiled as well, happy for her.

"I see. Hmm…," Tiasa trailed off, frowning as she parsed through her thoughts.

They continued for several rooms, their feet plopping in random puddles here and there. Finally, upon entering the fourth room, they came across a channel of raging water. Looking downstream, Juvia could make out that it turned into a waterfall that likely poured into a large pool that connected to the bay.

"This appears to be much larger than I thought," Juvia said.

"If you include places where you can't walk. Each of the rooms we passed through usually have some sort of offering left in them, and there around maybe forty or fifty of those in total. There are several channels that lead into a larger chamber, but we never go there," Tiasa said.

"Why not?" Juvia inquired.

"It's quite dangerous. If you look at the edge, there's a waterfall that empties into a pool that empties into the bay. As of late, we've had geysers that send water back up here, but they don't flood the rooms; they usually rushed through the channel and spout out of the entrance before quickly receding," Tiasa said.

"Hmm… if we can't find anything in the rooms, I don't think we'll have any choice _but_ to go down there," Strider said.

"I wouldn't recommend it. It's… quite dangerous. We're not completely sure of what we'll even find," Tiasa said.

"Let's hope we don't have too. Come, let's continue," Strider said, walking into another room.

-o-

"Nothing so far. Man, this is getting boring," Natsu grumbled.

"Aye. No fish, either," Happy grumbled.

"Always complaining," Gajeel said.

"You wanna go? Cause I'm ready to go," Natsu said, getting in his face.

"Tsk. Children," Lyon said smugly.

"Like you're one to talk, Snow Queen," Gray snickered, seeing Lyon had taken his clothes off.

"LOOK AT YOURSELF!" Lyon yelled back. Gray yelped, seeing he had taken his own off as well.

"Man, those two are weird," Natsu grumbled, shaking his head at them.

"For once we agree," Gajeel said with a scoff.

"Oh hell no! No way _you_ two have any right to say that!" Gray said, rearing one of his hands back.

"YOU WANNA GO RIGHT NOW? LET'S GO!" Natsu said, fire beginning to circle his fists.

"Wait! Shut up! Do you hear that?" Gajeel asked.

"Hear what?" Lyon asked, listening intently.

"Wait… I hear it. Kind of sounds… like… oh crap," Natsu grimaced. As the others turned to see what he was talking about, they were smashed head-on with a significant rush of water.

"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP!" they screamed on their way into the pool below.

"HAPPY!" Natsu managed to cry out.

"AYE!" Happy yelled, quickly sprouting wings and grabbing Natsu, who grabbed Gray. Lily did the same for Gajeel, who grabbed on to Lyon.

"Let's head down below. Looks like we might find something there," Lily said. Happy and the others nodded in agreement and began to look for the same spot.

-o-

 _"Do you have any information for us, Hibiki?"_ Strider inquired telepathically.

 _"Are you using telepathy magic?"_ Hibiki asked in surprise.

 _"I am. It appears to be a bit more powerful now, though. As though someone is amplifying it,"_ Strider said.

 _"Good guess. I can also use telepathy magic. But as for your question, nothing new yet. Scans indicate there's 54 separate rooms in the caverns and almost nothing of interest; no significant output of any kind. There's a massive chamber somewhere there as well, though. I can't seem to get a read on it, however. Might be worth checking out,"_ Hibiki said.

 _"Wonderful. After we finish going through a few more rooms, we'll head there,"_ Strider said.

-o-

"There doesn't seem to be much here," Erza said with a frown as she led her group around the second floor.

"If there was, I think the villagers would've gotten it," Sherry shrugged.

"I'm with Sherry on this. Still… it's really nice in here," Lucy said, looking around. The insides of the temple were covered with various offerings and other items. None was too out of the way; the usual fruits and vegetables, some chunks of animal meat, and other finery such as clothing and jewelry. The walls themselves glistened and bathed them in a light blue glow.

"These must be their deities," Carla said, flying to two large statues in the middle of the floor. They were carved out of a blue stone - one was a man with a short beard and shoulder length hair wielding a trident with three parallel points, as opposed to the traditional curve; the other, a woman with water wrapped around her body, her hands flayed to the sides and her hair going down her back straight.

"Do you guys think they're behind it?" Lucy asked nervously.

"We can't rule it out yet," Erza replied. "Let's continue walking around. We'll make a few more rounds in case we missed anything, although I'm not sure we did. After we finish up here, we'll head down to the caverns. I'm sure the men could use some help covering them."

"Speaking of men, what's the deal with the new guy?" Sherry wondered.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked, her head going side to side.

"He just joined?" Sherry wondered.

"Recently, yes," Erza answered.

"And what's his story?" she wondered.

"You'll have to ask him," Erza said.

"Ah. Mysterious. Lovely," she giggled.

"I thought you had a thing for Ren," Lucy said thoughtfully.

"He's handsome too," Sherry smirked.

-o-

"Nothing, man,you" Ichiya said with a frown.

"Indeed. Perhaps we should join the others?" Jura suggested.

"I do as well. Let us go," Ichiya nodded.

"What ayourthoughts on Fairy Tail's newest member?" Jura wondered.

"Quite an impressive man. Have you seen someone fly like that?" Ichiya inquired.

"Never. Not even Wind Wizards. I believe Ren is an Air Wizard, however," Jura said.

"Indeed. While his parfum is extraordinary, he cannot fly like Strider. No, that appears to be one of a kind," Ichiya said.

"There was something off, however," Jura said.

"His magic?" Ichiya wondered.

"Yes. I could barely sense it. That wouldn't be surprising if he were a novice, but I don't get that feeling. He appears to know the landscape," Jura said.

"I get the same feeling. The man has a striking presence, that much is certian," Ichiya said. "I am curious to see where he goes, man. To be expected of his guild choice. Fairy Tail's parfum has always attracted the beautiful and talented."

-o-

"Looks like we don't have any other choice," Strider said as he looked down the precipice to the pool below. He saw water frothing in the spot that falls cascaded into. He could also make out narrow but walkable rock ledges as well as what appeared to be additional rooms. Most notable was a wide gap that he assumed would lead into the bay.

"How do we get down there? I could simply use the water, but…," Juvia trailed off.

"Are you alright with this, Tiasa?" Strider asked. She met his eyes and paused before nodding.

"Yes. I suppose we don't have any other choice," she sighed.

"Alright. Hold on," he said, holding his arms out. Juvia blushed a mad red while Tiasa had a slightly subdued but notable pinkness on her cheeks.

"W-w-w-what?" Juvia blubbered.

"Hold on. I'm going to fly us down there. Better than jumping, although I'm not averse to that either," Strider said.

"Oh, I'd rather not do that!" Tiasa said, tightly gripping him around the neck. Strider put his arms around her waist and held her close, her cheeks pushing against his. Juvia wasn't having that; she quickly and tightly held him around the waist. As Strider looked down, he saw her shivering slightly.

"Juvia, are you alright? You seem uh… cold," he said. As she looked up, she had hearts in her eyes.

"On the contrary my love. I am completely at peace. Were you and I too perish at this very second, I would consider this a life happily lived," she said, hearts in her eyes as she nuzzled against him. Strider and Tiasa were both surprised by the forwardness of her statement but he smiled and put his arm around her waist as well. Slowly, they began to levitate a few feet off the ground before gently descending.

"Oh my gosh…," Tiasa whispered.

"This is… amazing," Juvia said, forgetting his presence for a moment as she focused on the sensation.

"I'm glad you two are enjoying it," Strider said, quickening the pace a bit. It was around ten seconds later that they finally landed on a ledge. Tiasa and Juvia still clung on to him, trying to digest the experience.

"We _have_ to do this again," Tiasa whispered.

"Happily," Strider said, flashing her a smile. She returned it and quickly gave him a peck on the cheek. Juvia was oblivious to it, looking up and down and trying to reconcile that they levitated down her.

 _"Heads up that Jura, Master Ichiya, Wendy, Lucy, Erza, and Sherry will be joining you guys in a short while. Wait for them before you continue,"_ Hibiki said.

 _"Alright. Thanks,"_ Strider thought back. "Guess this would be the ideal time to take a short break. Let's head into this room here," Strider said. The three walked in - and not a minute later, the entire island began to rumble.


	10. Blood, The Rain, and I

"What's that?" Erza yelled as she gathered with her, Hibiki's, and Jura's group on the ground floor. The temple - no, the island itself - was beginning to rumble and shake, as though it was an -

"EARTHQUAKE!" Lucy screamed in a shrill voice. Suddenly, there was another rumble much closer to them. Debris began to fall all around as the temple began to crumble around them, massive pieces of stone falling. Jura wasted no time in setting up an earthen barrier, almost completely encasing them. Leaving small windows to look through, they saw the state of the temple.

"The sea!" Eve suddenly yelled out. Snapping their heads towards it, they saw something even more terrifying; a massive wave. It ripped and roared across the troubled waters towards the island.

"A tsunami?" Ren asked.

"No, not this soon after the quake. Whatever is going on must be connected. I'm sure of it," Jura frowned.

"The others?!" Erza shouted.

"The townspeople!" Sherry cried out, her hands flying over her mouth.

"What do we do?" Wendy asked fretfully. They all looked to Ichiya, Erza, and Jura, the three leaders of the small force.

"Jura?" Ichiya and Erza asked. As strong as either were, Jura was a Wizard Saint. His power levels were intense and magic rolled off of him in waves. He frowned as he looked straight ahead, knowing what the right thing to do was.

"I'm sure they'll be able to take care of themselves down below. Right now, we need to get down there and help as many people as possible. We'll work on stemming the tide, while they work on getting to the bottom of this," Jura said.

"Agreed," Erza nodded.

"We shall leave as soon as the quakes subside. Hibiki! Ren! Eve! You three will stay here and help coordinate, understood?" Ichiya asked.

"Yes, master!" they resounded.

-o-

"An earthquake. We never get those here," Tiasa said fretfully.

"An update from Hibiki. There's a wave heading towards the island. The others are going to help stop that as well as aid the evacuation to higher ground. We're going to continue," Strider said.

"A wave?" Tiasa whispered, eyes wide. Strider put a hand on her shoulder and cheek, making her look at him. She saw the intensity and surety in his eyes.

"Don't worry. We're going to help you all, alright? I promise," he whispered. Tiasa couldn't do anything but nod, although her face still held the signs of unease.

 _'Please be alright, grandfather,'_ she thought.

"Let's continue. This way," Juvia said, leading them through and to another room. They found their passage slightly more difficult as they soon ran into a tight room with only a small crevice to go through to continue. On the other side, Strider saw another room opening.

"Through here," he said. Juvia quickly made herself exceedingly skinny and went first. Strider looked on, intrigued by the magic.

"That's amazing," he whispered.

"What?" Tiasa said, finally snapping out of her short funk.

"That Juvia can change her body in such a way. I've never anything like it," he said.

"Ah. Yes, she appears to be an amazing Water Wizard," Tiasa said with a sad smile as she looked down. She felt his hand on her shoulder again. Looking up, she saw his comforting smile.

"There's no need to beat yourself up over something like that. Magic is a fickle thing. You can't expect everyone to learn it at the same pace. Sometimes, it's more the circumstance of learning than the act of doing so," he said before beginning to go through as well. Strider had a much more difficult time as Juvia and Tiasa saw, catching several times and needing to pause to unstick his scabbard here and there. He paused three-quarters of the way through and began to mutter obscenities.

"You have quite a… creative tongue," Juvia deadpanned.

"Forgive me. This is… outside of my comfort zone," he said, pausing again as the passage narrowed ever so slightly.

"Don't like narrow spaces?" Tiasa wondered as she followed, her movement graceful. Strider saw that her dress didn't seem to hinder her at all while his shirt caught here and there on the jagged edges.

"Not in the slightest. If I thought there was another way, I would've suggested that. I wouldn't say I'm claustrophobic, but this is… uncomfortable," Strider gulped. As Tiasa and Juvia look to him, they saw that he was paler than they had seen him before.

"Are you ok?" Juvia asked worriedly.

"Yeah. One minute, coming through," Strider said. Closing his eyes, he forced himself through the crevice, tear his shirt slightly as it caught some places. Finally, he was out and took a moment to recompose himself before continuing into another room. Juvia and Tiasa exchanged a glance before setting after him.

"Would you mind if we rested for a minute?" Tiasa asked after a little while.

"Sure. Best not to continue if we're not all there, anyways," Strider said with a smile as he sat down against a wall, Juvia and Tiasa in front of him. Whispering a few words, Strider conjured some fire, taking the two by surprise.

"I didn't know you can use Fire Magic!" Juvia said.

"Not like Natsu or another Fire Wizard. I can create flames to keep me and others warm, but that's the extent of it. Otherwise, I have to use it with my telekinesis, but it usually ends up extinguishing the flame before it does anything," Strider said. Juvia nodded before showing off her own magic; using the moisture around them, she put up a water shield that awed both Strider and Tiasa.

"That's amazing," Strider said, touching it. The shield was thick enough to hinder his fingers and would likely offer them decent defense.

"You two are _amazing_ ," Tiasa said. Juvia blushed at the compliment but smiled.

"You're doing it again, Tiasa," Strider said.

"Doing what?" she wondered.

"Sulking."

"Oh. I'm sorry. It's not often that I see Magic beyond the little we use in lacrima's. While I've seen wizards, none have been as amazing as you all."

"You're too kind."

"I'm serious. It almost…," she trailed off.

"Almost what?" Juvia pressed.

"As I said before, while I love this island and its people, it's stifling. I do want to see the world someday. There's more to it than just here," she said with a serene smile.

"I'm sure Fairy Tail would be happy to accept you," Strider said.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Fairy Tail. You have an ounce of Magic, which is more than enough for Master Makarov," Strider said.

"Please stop joking at my expense," she blushed.

"Strider isn't joking. It'd be nice to have another Water Wizard around," Juvia said.

"Maybe… I'd have to speak to my grandfather about it," she said.

"You'll be free to visit, you know. Now is the ideal time to see the world, I think," Strider said.

"I'll… think about it. Although Fairy Tail…," she said, giggling.

"Ah. That reputation?" Strider laughed.

"Is it true you guys do tens of millions of jewel in damage?" Tiasa asked eagerly.

"Ughhhhh," Juvia deadpanned comically. "It's not the guild! It's mainly Gray and Natsu!"

"They've been surprisingly well behaved on the jobs I've gone on with them," Strider said.

"I can see why," Tiasa said.

"What does that mean?" he wondered.

"Oh… did I say that out loud?" she asked, turning a bright red. "Umm… I'm not sure how to explain it. You have something of a… presence."

"I hope that's a compliment," he grumbled, eliciting a giggle from the two.

"So Juvia, when did you start using your powers?" Tiasa asked. She blanched as she saw Juvia look down, smiling sadly at the ground. "Oh… I'm sorry. If you don't want to talk about it…"

"No, it's fine. I'm more comfortable speaking about it now than I've been before. My powers developed at an early age. It sounds nice but… I couldn't control them, you see. Wherever I went, the rain followed. It didn't bother me at first. I assumed it was just kids being kids but it continued as I grew older. Depressing. That was the word they always used," Juvia said softly, hugging her knees to her chest. Strider moved closer to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. She touched it and smiled before continuing.

"I started making teru teru bōzu dolls. They're like… charms to bring good weather and stop the rain. Of course, it didn't really do anything. I had one relationship in all my life, but eventually, he broke up with me because of the rain. It wasn't until I joined Phantom Lord that I felt like I belonged somewhere. Even there, though, I was always depressed. My guildmates didn't really spend any time with me, and that which they did they wanted to fight. It wasn't until I joined Fairy Tail that I finally felt accepted somewhere. When I met Gray, the raining eventually stopped and I finally had some sunshine. But when this weather started, it started to dampen everyone's mood. I think you're the only one that doesn't mind," she said, looking at Strider. He smiled at her and put his arm around her, giving her a hug. Juvia turned red but smiled and leaned in.

"As I've said, I love the rain. I like the sun as much as anyone, but it gets… stale. Perhaps it's just me, but the rain, the snow… I thrive in inclement weather, I suppose," he said.

"I'm happy to hear that," Juvia said quietly. Tiasa looked on with a smile before getting lost in her thoughts.

"That was quite a beautiful song you sang last night, by the way," Juvia suddenly said.

"You heard that?" Strider asked.

"I did. What was it about?" she wondered.

"You sing?" a bewildered Tiasa asked.

"Ha. Not like you're imagining. When you spend a lot of time traveling, you need ways to keep amused. We have many songs and poems where I'm from, so I sing them to keep myself entertained. The one from last night… mmmm… it's about a man that set out in search of a lost land to save his people from a terrible enemy. He succeeded and helped in the fight before finally taking his leave from the world," Strider said, his voice almost mournful. Tiasa and Juvia looked at each before looking at him again.

"I'd love to hear one of your songs after this is all over," Tiasa said.

"But of course," Strider acquiesced.

-o-

"This is interesting," Strider said as they continued.

"What is?" Tiasa wondered.

"There seems to be some sort of energy. I couldn't sense it in the other rooms, but it's potent here," Strider said.

"Yes, I've noted the same. I can't quite place what it is, though," Juvia said.

"I can't feel anything," Tiasa grumbled.

"Hold still for a minute," Strider said as he rounded on her. Taking her face in his hands, Strider closed his eyes and began to chant. Juvia circled them, flustering about how that was unfair but both seemed deaf to her complaints. Suddenly, Tiasa's eyes went wide as her lips parted slightly.

"Oh my…," she whispered.

"Can you feel it now?" Strider wondered.

"I… what did you do?" she asked.

"I increased your sensitivity to magic slightly. You'll be able to pick up on the subtleties around us," Strider said.

"You can do that?" Juvia asked, flabbergasted.

"It's a special kind of magic that I learned from a friend," Strider said.

"You feel this every day?" Tiasa asked meekly.

"I try to limit it. Sometimes, it's a bit much," Strider said.

"Hmm… I'm not sure if we're feeling the same thing. I can often get a read on magic, but only in a general sense," Juvia said with a frown. She felt Strider's hands on her cheek as well as he began to chant again.

"Oh no! Juvia, you're losing water!" Tiasa said in a panic. Strider laughed as he saw a slight puddle begin to form at Juvia's feet, water dripping off her as she melted at his touch. She quickly composed herself as she began to feel what Tiasa did.

"I see what you mean now. But mines more subdued. This is… a bit much," Juvia said. The cacophony of magical energy was nothing more than a slight hum to her; but now, it was more of a feral buzz attacking her on all sides. She took a few deep breaths to get accustomed to it, the noises drowning out. As she looked ahead at Strider, she noted something off.

"Strider," she said.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"I can't seem to get a read on your magic," she said.

"That's odd," he said as they continued walking. Juvia didn't press it, but Tiasa noted that she seemed to be boring a hole through his back with how intense her stare was.

 _'Why can't I sense it?'_ Juvia wondered.

"I've never been here before," Tiasa said, looking around.

"Do you have an idea what might be here?" Juvia inquired.

"Not too well, no. My grandfather told me stories of how they offered umm…," Tiasa trailed off, shuddering at the thought.

"Sacrifices?" Strider finished for her.

"Yes. Animals and sometimes… people," Tiasa said.

"People?" Juvia asked in surprise.

"It's something that likely still goes on in parts of the world. We moved on from it a while ago, but I suppose there are some cultures or tribes that continue to use it as a method of offering to deities. Why a deity would ever command such a thing, I've no idea," Strider said.

"That's… barbaric," Juvia said.

"It is what it is," Strider replied.

"We've never done it and I can't remember a time in our recent history when we have. But if you look back far enough, you'll find cases," Tiasa said.

"I think we already have," Strider grimaced.

"What do-," Juvia said as she bumped into Strider, with Tiasa bumping into her. As they peeked around his frame, they grimaced as well. In front of them were several old bones postured against the wall. Skulls lay on small outcrops designed as ledges. The eyeless crevice looked back at them, unknowing, unseeing, unsettling.

"That's…," Juvia trailed off.

"Yeah," Strider said. He approached one and touched it.

"Should you really be touching that? What if it's carrying a disease or something?" Tiasa asked fretfully.

"We should be fine. Hmm… I can't get a read on them," he frowned.

"They're dead," Juvia reminded him.

"I know. But where you find bodies, you find some traces of remaining energy. But here, there's none. These must've been down here for quite a while. Centuries," Strider said.

"Let's continue. Please," Tiasa said.

"Right," Strider nodded. They continued going on their way when they suddenly heard a loud crash.

"This way," Juvia said, quickly running in the direction of the sound. As they hurried through a couple more rooms, they found the source. Natsu, Gajeel, Gray, and Lyon appeared to be in the middle of a brawl.

"WHAT?! YOU CAN'T BLAME THAT ON ME!" Gajeel yelled, punching Natsu.

"OF COURSE I CAN!" Natsu yelled back.

"STOP STRIPPING!" Lyon screamed at Gray.

"WHAT?! SAYS THE NUDIST!" Gray yelled back.

"They're… fighting? At a time like this?" Tiasa asked, slightly hurt. Her people might be dying outside, while the Dragon Slayers and Ice Wizards were arguing amongst each other. Suddenly, all four found their bodies still. Gajeel and Natsu were both mid punch, while Gray and Lyon had retracted their hands, beginning to pounce. They looked at Strider, who had a cold gaze in his eyes.

"What are you four doing?" he inquired quietly.

"Woah. That's some strong magic," Gray said, trying to move but unable to.

"We fell down here and tried to look around! Gajeel kept getting us lost!" Natsu yelled.

"ME?! You're the one that suggested we try this room!" Gajeel yelled back.

"Enough. All of you," Strider said, releasing them and sighing deeply.

"Hey, I can feel myself again," Natsu blinked, flexing his fingers.

"Is that your magic?" Lyon asked.

"It is. Why aren't you four looking around? Didn't you get Hibiki's message?" Strider asked.

"Message? What message?" Natsu asked.

"You didn't hear that there's a massive wave heading towards the island?" Strider asked, eyebrow raised.

"Last thing I heard was that rumble," Gajeel said looking around.

"We haven't heard anything either," Gray said.

"Odd. We received it… but that was before we went into a room," Strider said, eyes narrowed as he looked around. He drew his sword, something that put the others on edge.

"What? You feel something?" Lily asked.

"I'm not sure. But if they didn't get the message and we did, then I think it stands to reason there's something inhibiting telepathy here. Better safe than sorry," Strider said.

"I can't seem to get in contact with him either," Juvia confirmed.

"That's no good," Tiasa said tentatively.

"What do we do now?" Happy asked.

"Continue. No point in going back now," Strider said.

"Are you sure that's wise? Perhaps we should wait for the others," Tiasa suggested.

"They're going to have their hands full for a while. We can't just sit and wait for them. But if you'd like to leave, I understand. This must be especially difficult for you," Strider said kindly. Tiasa looked at him for a long moment before shaking her head.

"No. You're right. The sooner we solve this, the safer it'll be for everyone. Let's go," Tiasa said.

-o-

" _I haven't gotten word from the others yet,_ " Hibiki thought to Jura, Erza, and Ichiya.

 _"What do you mean?_ " Erza inquired.

 _"There might be some sort of interference, but I can't get through to them,"_ Hibiki explained.

" _Keep trying,_ " Erza said, although she knew it was no use. Hibiki was no slouch when it came to Telepathy. If he couldn't communicate with the others, there was likely a problem. However, it was no easier on them. Bashing against the beach were storm surges that towered over them. Jura had set up a massive defensive wall and continued to tear through the surges with his attacks. Erza had shifted into her Sea Empress Armor and was able to easily brute force waves coming her way with the blue-green sword she wielded. Townsfolk stared at the two in awe.

"Lucy, shouldn't you summon Aquarius?" Wendy asked as she cut through an oncoming wave with her own magic.

"Uhh… I don't think that'd be the best idea," Lucy lamented as she helped some townsfolk escape to higher ground with supplies.

"I believe she's correct on this. That Spirit might do more damage," Carla sighed, lifting a child to higher ground.

"Do you think the others will be ok?" Sherry asked.

"I'm sure they will be. As foolish as they are, Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Lyon are quite powerful. Juvia excels in water and Tiasa will be able to guide them. And Strider is able to take care of himself," Erza said.

-o-

"Looks like we're going in deeper," Lyon said.

"Will you cover up already?" Gray hissed.

"You first!" Lyon pointed out.

"Let's find whatever's behind this so I can pummel it," Natsu said, punching his fist into an open palm.

"Let's not be too eager to fight. If whatever it is can control the weather, they're likely to be powerful," Strider said.

"We've taken on powerful guys before! We got this," Natsu said confidently.

"You appear to be more cautious than your guildmates," Tiasa noted.

"Ingrained in me from a young age. I can't seem to break the habit," Strider said.

"Do you think you're right?" she wondered.

"I'm not quite sure yet, to be honest. It's too early to say. I hope it's something we can solve without a fight - especially if this turns out to be the work of deities," Strider said.

"And if it _does_ become a fight?" she inquired.

"We fight back," Strider stated. He saw Tiasa shift uncomfortably; having an idea of what was going through her mind, he put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Whatever the problem, we're here to solve it."

"Thank you," she whispered. Off to the side, Juvia was grumbling.

"Juvia," Lyon suddenly said.

"Hmm?" she wondered, still looking at Strider.

"Perhaps once this is over, you and I can get dinner," Lyon said. Strider chuckled as he looked to Juvia who seemed to blush a bright and maddening red. As she was about to reply, the rumbling started again.

"Another quake?" Gajeel asked.

"Perhaps. Let's hurry. It seems as though we might getting closer. Do you hear that?" Strider asked. They listened intently and soon understood what he was saying. Over the quake, there was an audible hum - something that almost seemed to override the quake itself. As they kept going through the rooms, the hum grew louder and louder. Finally, the group arrived in a massive room and saw a faint glow in the center.

"Looks like we're he-," Gajeel began before another voice overrode him.

"Who goes there?" it sounded, reverberating off the walls before striking their ears. It was loud, but calm and soothing at the same time. They edged closer before Strider responded.

"Wizards. With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" he asked.

 _"With whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"_ Gajeel deadpanned. The others seemed just as surprised with the formal approach.

"If we treat with a deity, it would be wise to show respect. Doesn't help that I'm used to talking like this," Strider said.

"An intelligent one, it appears. Mmm… I sense your presence, Wizards. Two Water Wizards; two Ice Wizards; four Dragon Slayers; two flying creatures with them; and one more… but I cannot identify your magic. You are the one that spoke. State your name," the voice demanded.

"I would ask my host to divulge first," Strider said.

"Hmph. Tohil," it said. Tiasa gasped; that was their Sun God.

"I see. My name is Strider," he replied.

"Strider. Strider. Strider. Strider. Odd. It seems more a title than a name," Tohil said.

"It serves as both. It has since I was a child," Strider said.

"Ah. I see. Yes, very well. What brings you here, Wizards?" Tohil asked.

"The rainfall has been staggering - not just in Fiore, but in several countries. We observed that the problems emanated from this temple," Strider said.

"Oya…," Tohil said, sighing. The group immediately covered their eyes as a massive flash of light attacked their eyes. They regretted doing so almost immediately as they felt their arms begin to burn. As soon as it happened, however, it began to die down. Uncovering, they looked on in awe as a man stood before them. He wore a golden robe and held a trident in his hands. He had shoulder length hair as well as a small beard and wizened old eyes.

"Tohil," Tiasa whispered before falling to her knees and whispering prayers. Strider looked at her before looking at Tohil who observed her with a smile.

"Rise, child," he said. Tiasa gulped and did so. His eyes washed over the others, all of whom were on edge; before landing on Strider, who stared back at him. "Greetings."

"It is good to see you, lord," Strider said, putting a hand across his chest and bowing slightly. The others didn't, but Tohil didn't seem to mind.

"How long has the rainfall gone on?" Tohil wondered.

"A month or so in Fiore, with it starting a little earlier than that around this island," Strider answered.

"Do your companions not know how to speak?" Tohil wondered.

"Should you address them directly, I imagine they will," Strider replied.

"Ha. Is this how your show your respect?" Tohil wondered.

"Should you address them directly, I imagine they will, lord," Strider rephrased, earning a chuckle from the deity.

"A clever one, I see. Very well, Strider. A month and longer… yes, I was afraid of that," Tohil sighed.

"My Lord, what is happening? Our companions said that _waves_ are heading for the island - the people!" Tiasa cried out.

"Oya…," Tohil sighed again.

"The Goddess of Rain?" Tiasa asked.

"Yes. Has it been so long already?" Tohil asked distantly, his eyes misting slightly as he gripped his trident with both hands before looking down.

"So long?" Tiasa wondered.

"It has been centuries since we first came to this island. At that time, it was but a small piece of land in this bay between the countries of Fiore and Seven. But it was so charming, so beautiful - that we couldn't stay away. The rain was hearty, the waters swelling, and the sun beat down - an odd pairing, but one that endured for countless time. Then the people soon came to our land. We didn't mind; they made offering continually to us, equal in good times and bad. Fruits, vegetables, people, animals, finery… everything. Even 'til now, they continue - in weather that can kill a man in a night. I know the rain of which you speak. It falls and cuts like glass, does it not?" Tohil asked.

"It does," Gray answered, looking at his own arm.

"Yes. I was afraid that this might happen, but have anticipated it nonetheless. The waves… when did they start?" Tohil asked.

"Only today," Tiasa said. "It was only rain and some rising water before, but the waves are new."

"Forgive me, child," Tohil said.

"Forgive, my lord?" Tiasa asked, her voice rising and laced with fear.

"Forgive a foolish man in love," he sighed. Strider noticed him gripping his trident even harder; his knuckles appeared ready to break through the skin.

"I do not know what you mean," Tiasa said.

"I think I might…," Strider frowned. Tohil looked at him and sighed.

"Yes. Yes, you know. I can tell," he said. The others looked at Strider but Tohil continued. "It is my fault that it got to this stage… that the rain didn't stop a month ago. Oya… is dying."

Silence quickly fell on the others as they looked bewildered by the statement, none more than Tiasa.

"My lord?" she squeaked.

"Even Gods have an end, my dear - longer than others, but an end nonetheless. Oya is at hers. It is my fault… that of a foolish man in love. She is dying, you see. I… neglected to finish her when I had the chance. And now I fear it might be too late. Forgive me," he said, bowing his head to Tiasa.

"What do you mean? Too late?" Tiasa asked fretfully.

"If a God dies naturally, their body is returned to their element - in Oya's case, the rain. However… it is possible for a God to overstay their welcome. It has an effect on their element, sending it wild and out of control. Oya… Oya was going to die decades ago, but our love was strong. I… was foolish. I convinced her to extend her life unnaturally as we looked for a way to continue, but our attempt bore no fruit. And now, your people are paying the price. That blame falls on me," Tohil said.

"My lord…," Tiasa said uncomfortably.

"What can we do now? Is there a way to stop it?" Natsu asked.

"I cannot invo-," Tohil began but was cut off.

"Screw that! We're here to help! Besides, our friends are fighting the waves out there! We have to do what we can!" Natsu said urgently. Tohil looked at everyone before sighing.

"She would annihilate you at this stage," he warned them.

"We're tougher than you think," Gray said.

"Thank you Wizards… I know not what to say," Tohil said, closing his eyes.

"Just tell us where to go," Gray said.

"Are you in concert? Those that wish to turn should do so now. I will be leading you into the final chamber - her room. Once there, we cannot leave until it is done," Tohil said.

"We are," Gajeel said. Tohil nodded and stepped to the side, showing them the room. They began walking, Tohil and Strider bringing up the rear.

"You convinced her to continue beyond her life?" Strider inquired.

"I did. A foolish decision. I had hoped… we would find a way to stop it. But alas, we couldn't," Tohil said.

"What can we expect in there?" Strider asked.

"I haven't visited her in years, only communicating from a distance. Her room is smaller than my chamber - this one - although she has her guards standing by. They are made of water," Tohil said.

"Interesting. Good thing we have Wizards capable of defeating them," Strider said.

"I cannot get a read on your Magic. Where do you come from? You are obviously not from Ishgar," Tohil said.

"The Northern Continent. As a God, do you know of it?" Strider asked.

"I know that I know nothing of it. I am a God, yes, but my power has been limited to Ishgar. We are not the all powerful, infallible beings that humans have concocted - that much is evident. And after living here so long, I am used to this place. I've no desire to leave until my time is at hand," Tohil said.

"I see," was all Strider said. "If you met your demise before hers, would you have done the same thing?"

"An intriguing question. I know not. Perhaps, perhaps not," Tohil said.

"A vague answer," Strider said.

"The best I can offer for now," Tohil sighed. "We will be approaching soon. Stay on your guard."

"Will you speak with her?" Strider asked.

"I will try," Tohil said.

"My lord - do you think we will succeed?" Tiasa asked.

"I hope so, my dear," Tohil said with a smile. Tiasa sighed before nodding and looking at Strider.

"How are you doing with this?" he asked kindly.

"I'm not sure. I am overjoyed to learn that Tohil and Oya have watched over our island for a long time, however," she said, trying to smile.

"It must be a comfort knowing that your Gods are on your side," Strider said.

"It truly is. I am thankful. Thank you, Tohil," Tiasa said, bowing to him.

"It has been my honor, my dear," Tohil nodded.

"Strider," Tiasa said.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"This is sudden, but after we return to the island, there's something I wish to speak with you about," Tiasa said with a slight blush.

"Oh? What is it?" Strider asked.

"I… would prefer to hold on until knowing we succeed," Tiasa said.

"Now we have to. I'm dying to know what it is," Strider said with a smile.

"I'm certain we will," Tiasa said firmly, resolving herself as much as she could. While the terror of not doing so loomed largely, she knew that she had to - for her people.

"Strider," Juvia called out from the front. "Come join me, please."

"Coming," Strider said.

"Be prepared, Strider. If I cannot read your Magic, Oya will not either. We have the slightest moments advantage. You must seize it if we are to succeed. I shall bring up the rear," Tohil said. Strider nodded and joined Juvia up front.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"Oh, I just want to be close to you," she said, hearts in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around his. Strider chuckled and nodded, continuing.

"This doesn't freak you out?" Gray asked.

"Not at all. Juvia is quite beautiful, after all," Strider said.

"This makes us rivals!" Lyon declared. Strider sighed but didn't answer, continuing to let Juvia hold on to him as they continued.

-o-

"Thank you, Wizards!" Eurotas said, panting as he took a rest. They had finally evacuated the people on the island to the highest point. The waves were still hammering down below, but the damage would only be limited to that which could be rebuilt.

"You're welcome. Let's hurry now!" Erza shouted to the others.

"Bad news - we still can't communicate with them," Hibiki informed them.

"There must be some strong inhibiting magic down there. Perhaps it's from the deities they mentioned?" Jura offered.

"A good guess. Let's go," Ichiya said.

"Where's the entrance?" Lucy asked.

"It should be here. It appears there's quite a bit of debris blocking it, however. Jura?" Erza said. Nodding, Jura got to work in breaking the rock as best as he could; but as they continued, they saw that it continued for a while.

"This will be slow. I don't want to destroy the temple if I don't have to," Jura said.

"Understood," Erza said. _'Be safe, everyone. We'll be there soon.'_

-o-

"This is the entrance to the chamber. There is no going back after this," Tohil said.

"There's never any going back. Let's go!" Natsu cried as he quickly busted the door open. The group slowly entered, keeping on edge to make sure nothing caught them unawares. The entire room was filled with a bluish glow, particularly powerful from a small pool ahead of them. It shimmered, reflected off the glistening walls and offering them light.

"Oya, come forth. It is time," Tohil called out.

"To…Hil?" Oya called out.

"My dear! Do not worry! I am here," Tohil cried back.

"Is… it here?" Oya asked.

"Is what here?" Strider inquired.

"Who speaks?" the deity asked.

"Strider. A Wizard," he answered.

"Wiz…ard?" Oya said.

"Yes. You seem to be in pain," Strider said.

"A wise de…duc…tion," Oya said, her voice breaking.

 _'She appears to be quite weak,'_ Strider thought.

"Oya, come forth," Tohil said. As before, there was another flash of light - but this one much more subdued. While Tohil's forced them to cover their face, this light barely made them squint. A moment later, a woman with flowing black hair stood in front of them, her beauty still radiant. She wore a flowing robe of water, her hands spread to the side before resting on her body. She looked at Strider and Juvia first before washing her eyes over the Dragon Slayers and Ice Wizards, the Exceeds, and finally Tiasa and Tohil. She smiled as she saw him.

"Wond…erful," Oya said. The pool behind her began to bubble and several humanoid figures jumped out of it. Everyone looked on in surprise as they were surrounded. The creatures looked like humans, but with bodies made of water. Each had three spikes on their head as well as unseeing eyes and unspeaking mouths. They bared their watery talons at the Wizards, all of were on edge now.

"Uh… Sun guy? Might wanna make your move now," Lyon said.

"Yes… forgive me, Wizards," he whispered. Striders had snapped back to see what he want before his eyes widened in horror.

Tohil had reared his trident and shoved it through Tiasa's back. The surprise of the attack overtook any scream she might've uttered. Her eyes went wide as she looked down and saw her stomach, pancreas, and liver erupted from her body, soaking her beautiful dress a bloody red. She looked up and saw the look of shock and fury on Striders' face. The others soon looked back and had an equal reaction.

"No! What've you done?!" Strider roared as he rushed forward and blasted Tohil back. As the trident tore back, it ruptured her lung and let the organs fall to the floor. He grabbed Tiasa's body and brought her to the ground, his hands running over her stomach, his mouth opening and closing shock.

"You…," Gajeel snarled at the Sun God who got to his feet, frowning.

"Forgive me," he said.

"FORGIVE?! WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO, YOU BASTARD?!" Natsu roared as he shot flame at him. Gray, Gajeel, and Lyon joined in the attack while Juvia rushed to Strider, her eyes wide open in fear.

"No, no, no… Tiasa! Tiasa!" she yelled, trying to urge the girl awake.

"I…," Tiasa whispered before blood erupted from her mouth and splashed onto Strider. He wiped it away before cradling her in his arms.

"No, stay with us… please stay with us," Juvia urged.

"Stri…," Tiasa said, looking at him.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice oddly devoid of emotion. Juvia looked to him and saw the blank look where the terror had been.

"I…," Tiasa said again.

"Take your time, Tiasa. There's no need to rush. We're going to make it out of here, alright? Don't worry!" Juvia cried out, taking the girls hand in hers. Strider and Juvia were both suddenly blown back by the water finds that had come out of the pool. As Strider got back to his feet, he saw Oya approaching Tiasa's body. The girl looked on in fear, her chest rising and falling as her life dwindled further.

"What have you done?" Strider whispered. Oya didn't answer and continued, while Tohil reared to attack. However, they both soon felt an overwhelming pressure in the room. Looking at Strider, they saw a look of unbridled fury. He snarled at a fiend before raising his hand and blowing it back. "ANSWER ME!" he roared at the Gods.

"You would not understand," Tohil snarled back at him.

"Try me," Strider said.

"Off…ering," Tiasa groaned. Tohil sighed and nodded.

"There is one way for a God to extend their life," Tohil said. "We can claim a humans life to extend ours. The people on this island halted their sacrifices so long ago, but we endured. We thought we could subside on their offerings… but we could not. We required living sacrifices. Forgive me, Wizards. I did not want it to come to this, but it is. I humbly beg you to leave the islander and take your leave. Once Oya is healed, she will be able to rein in the forces. All will be well," Tohil said.

"So long as the people keep giving up lives to you?" Strider inquired.

"Not often. Once every century will be enough. Please, Wizard. You must see this from our perspective," Tohil urged.

"You killed her," Strider whispered.

"I-," Tohil began.

"No. No more talking. There's only one way this ends," Strider said, his voice trembling. He lunged forward at Tohil and locked his sword with the God, his teeth bared as he laced each strike with fury.

"Tohil-!" Oya cried out. She was about to attack but a telekinetic burst sent her back.

"TAKE CARE OF HER!" Strider roared at his companions who burst back and attacked Oya. Juvia got Tiasa out of the way while Gray and Lyon got to work on the water fiends, protecting the two. Gajeel and Natsu began to attack Oya, who was able to match them.

"What-," Tohil said before Strider turned to him.

"How dare you!" he snarled, kicking the God in the chest and sending him back. Tohil held his trident out, prepared to strike as he edged closer to Strider, a frown on his face.

"This is-," Tohil said before Strider locked weapons with him again.

"No. You will not have more sacrifices. We'll end you both today. The island will endure - you will not!" Strider said. Tohil ducked under a slash and swiped at Strider with his trident, cutting his shirt open and spilling blood.

"We are Gods, Wizard! How can you defeat us?!" Tohil demanded.

"You will see. You can at least take comfort in one bit of knowledge, however," Strider said.

"And what is that?" Tohil asked as he blocked Strider again. Strider leaned through the gap in their weapons and spoke low so that no one but Tohil could hear him.

 _"That I will join you and your love in death,"_ he said scathingly before rearing his head back and head butting the deity. "You're quite weak for a God!"

"DO NOT SPEAK DOWN TO ME!" Tohil roared back at him, lunging with the trident.

' _They were both not offered sacrifices for centuries. It appears as though he's a bit more powerful than her, but this works in our favor. They're both in a weakened state,'_ Strider thought, blocking the tridents. Even at his weakest, however, Tohil was quite strong. The years didn't limit his mobility much, Strider thought; he was lithe and agile with his trident, able to strike in ways that he wasn't used to. His sword caught several times between the points and the two had a test of strength to see who would prevail. Tohil would push forward before Strider would push back at him, both snarling at each other like beasts.

-o-

"Damn, this chick is strong," Gajeel said, wiping away a bit of trickling blood. Oya was able to use Water Magic at a level that was above Juvias.

"FIRE DRAGON ROAR!" Natsu yelled, sending a splurge of fire at the deity. She sacrificed a water fiend, creating a steam explosion that blinded the Dragon Slayers. They were barely able to dodge a thin slice of water she sent at them, one that could've done some damage.

"Tsk. Dragon Slayers that never slew a dragon. Such a farce," Oya said, continuing her attack.

"You're one to talk, lady! Have you two been cooped up here all this time?!" Gajeel asked.

"Do not speak to a Goddess like that!" Oya yelled.

"Screw you! She worshiped you and you try to kill her!" Natsu yelled angrily.

"One human life for ours! You cannot equate the two. Leave now and you will be forgiven," Oya said.

"Screw that! We're not leaving until we kick both of your asses!" Gajeel yelled, hitting her dead on with an Iron Dragon Roar that buffeted her back.

-o-

"OYA!" Tohil yelled. He attempted to leap to her aid but found his body stopped and buffeted back into the wall - hard. As he opened his eyes, he saw Strider looming over him.

"You can save her once you're done with me," he said in a menacing voice, bringing his sword down. Tohil dodged it and managed to get another strike in with his lance, nailing Strider in the side. Strider grunted but grabbed the lance, keeping it in place. He returned the favor and stabbed Tohil in the side as well. The deity grunted as yellowish blood began to pour out. The others turned as they heard Strider chuckle.

"What do you know? Gods _do_ bleed."

"How dare you?" Tohil asked, grunting again as Strider twisted the sword. Tohil replied by jamming the lance in further.

"How dare I? How dare _you?!"_ Strider snarled back. He reared his head and head butted Tohil. The lance came free as the deity was buffeted back. As he regained his bearings, he saw Strider coming at him again. He shoved the sword through his shoulder before kicking Tohil in the chest. As he pressed his advantage, Tohil evaded yet again and paused to get his bearings.

"Does one human life mean that much to you?" he asked, panting.

"It does," Strider said.

"Why?! We have done good for this island! Why can't you see that?!" Tohil asked.

"Because you're cruel! Why should they have to offer their lives to you?!" Strider inquired.

"A small price to pay," Oya answered as she locked Gajeel and Natsu yet again.

"I'm sure they'll say the same of you," Strider said. He thrust his hand out at Tohil who felt his body unable to move again.

"What is this?!" he asked, trying to break free of his invisible restraints.

"It appears that you really have lost a lot of your power. You might be stronger than her, but the lack of sacrifices have made you weak. Just as well, I suppose; we might not have been able to fight you if you were at your strongest. You aren't now, however; and it appears you've lost quite a bit of blood. This is the end," Strider said. He smashed Tohil into the wall and more blood poured out.

"TOHIL!" Oya cried out. Gajeel and Natsu wouldn't let her interfere. "DO NOT INTERFERE, DRAGON SLAYERS!"

She hit both of them with a massive burst of water that buffeted them into the wall. As she approached, Strider looked at her with a cold gaze. He threw Tohil's body at her, sending them both to the ground. The fiends, many of whom were frozen solid by Gray and Lyon, gathered around them and looked at Strider. One by one they began to attack. The others moved in, but stopped as they saw Strider effortlessly cut his way through.

He thrust his sword up and out the neck of the first fiend which soon collapsed into a puddle; the second, he stabbed directly through the stomach and applied a telekinetic burst, spraying the body everywhere; the third, he sliced off the right arm before cutting it half and bursting it; the fourth and fifth, he stabbed at the same time through the chest before retracting his blade and slicing their heads off, bursting the little that remained of their bodies; the sixth, he rushed, jumping slightly and thrust his sword through the neck. Nothing stood between him and the deities, both of whom looked angrily at him.

"What will you do now?" Tohil asked.

"We can defeat them, my love!" Oya shrieked.

"We could've, Oya… had the humans continued to offer us what we needed, we could've easily disposed of these children. But we are weak… look," Tohil said, showing her his bloodied hand. Strider saw blue tears begin to fall from Oya's eyes as she looked down at her lover, gently caressing her cheek.

"My love," she whispered.

"Forgive me. I've failed you," he whispered.

"You've failed these people. You've failed this island," Strider said, gripping his sword.

"Juvia! How is she?!" Lyon asked, kneeling at Tiasa's side. The redhead was sputtering blood everywhere, her eyes plastered wide open.

"Can you two do anything for her?" Gray asked.

"What?" Tohil asked in surprise.

"Her - TIASA! She's an islander - she's lived here since she was a little girl! She loves the rain! Can you help her? Your Gods, aren't you?!" Gray asked angrily.

"No. They're minor deities. They can control their elements, but they can't heal her - especially not if they did the damage," Strider said.

"He's… correct," Tohil said, gasping as a shock of pain went through him.

"WHY THE HELL DID YOU STAB HER IN THE FIRST PLACE?! SHE DIDN'T DESERVE THAT!" Natsu screamed. The two didn't reply, continuing to look at the redhead who kept on spilling blood.

"What do you intend to do with us?" Oya asked. Strider saw her gently contort her hands and let out a mirthless scoff.

"Your power is gone. You won't be summoning any more soldiers," he said.

"How…," Tiasa suddenly said.

"How? How what, Tiasa?" Juvia asked, caressing her face as tears continued to fall. She had never held a dying person in her arms.

"How… save… land," Tiasa managed to say.

"She's asking how we save the island!" Juvia cried out.

"Huh…," Oya scoffed. Strider turned his eyes to her and brought the sword to her shoulder. Tohil looked at him and grabbed it, slicing his hand open.

"What're you doing?!" he demanded.

"Once she's gone, the rain will stop, won't it? Her fluctuating life is making the rainfall here fluctuate. I imagine that because of your blood loss, the sun is probably out now as well - in full force on this part of the continent. It must be an odd sight for the people. But once you two are gone, it'll settle down. The people might not have the crop they've always had, but they won't be at the mercy of capricious deities," Strider said.

"You canno-" Tohil began before Strider reared the blade and thrust it at her chest. However, he stopped short of piercing it. The others looked at him, wondering what stopped him and saw that he had turned a pale white. As he saw that, Tohil chuckled.

"Can't do it, can you?" he asked, satisfied. Strider offered no response, pondering his next move.

"The boy can't kill us," Oya said, letting out a short laugh as well.

"What do we do?" Natsu asked.

"You guys - take Tiasa and get out of here," Strider ordered.

"What about you?" Gajeel asked.

"Don't worry about me. They can't do anything - they've lost most of their power and will to fight. I'll figure something out. Just go. You'll all need to work together. Juvia, keep her safe. Everyone else - tear apart this place if you have to," Strider said. They hesitated to go but eventually nodded and left.

-o-

"What do you think he's going to do?" Juvia asked tentatively, making sure that Tiasa wasn't moved to much. Natsu and Gajeel poured all of their anger into their attacks as demolished everything in their way. Gray and Lyon were ahead of them, freezing and buttering things up.

"Hope he knocks them both the hell out," Gajeel snarled.

"I can't believe they…," Juvia cried, looking at the redhead. Her eyes were hardly blinking, something that terrified her. The others paused and looked at Tiasa, fear and terror going through their being.

-o-

"What do you intend to do with us?" Oya demanded as the others left. Strider sheathed his blade and kneeled down, wrenching Tohil's trident from his hands. The deity tried to hold on but felt his power wane; he couldn't offer much resistance.

"They're too young for this," he said with a frown.

"You're not much older" Tohil spat.

"Except I know," Strider said.

"Know what?" Tohil asked.

"What it means to take a life. I didn't want them to see that," Strider said, looking at them. Raising his hand, the room began to rumble and shake. As the two deities looked around, they saw rock and debris begin to fall; the room was beginning to crumble.

-o-

"ANOTHER QUAKE!" Juvia yelled as they hurried. The four men broke through the wall with the crevice so that Juvia and Tiasa could easily make it through. They were soon in the room with the massive pool and waterfall, the waters churning.

-o-

As the two deities looked at Strider, they noted the sword on his hip began to shake gently. Their eyes narrowed before widening in fear as they felt a palpable dread wash over the room.

"Your sword," Oya said, forgetting her position. Without a word, Strider drew it. He looked at his sword, the partner he had traveled with for years now. He saw his own face reflected in the stark blade before feeling it squirm gently in his hand. It pointed itself at the deities who attempted to move back.

"It…," Tohil coughed.

"You feel it, can't you?" Strider asked in a low voice, turning the hilt in his hands. In his rage, he had forgotten something. Finally, he looked at the two, hatred in his eyes.

"This was your choice," Strider whispered. Oya and Tohil's eyes went wide as he reared the blade.

-o-

"HEY! WHAT HAPPENED?!" Natsu asked as Strider came running; the quakes had subsided.

"Another quake. That room is… buried," Strider said.

"Buried?! In rock?!" Lyon asked in shock.

"Yup. The last two rooms - both their chambers," Strider nodded.

"Are they…," Happy asked, gulping.

"You probably don't want the details. It's… not a nice sight," Strider grimaced.

"Yeah… probably not. If the rooms are buried, then…," Gray gulped.

"Tiasa," Strider said, leaning down.

"Please… stop," Tiasa said, bloodied tears trailing down her cheeks.

"We can't. You have to go see your grandfather, remember? You have to talk to him about leaving this island for a little while. You have to go see the world," Strider said, taking her hand in his. She offered him a smile, taking his hand and putting it on her cheek.

"Your hands," she whispered.

"You can hold them as much as you want once we get out of here," Strider said.

"I want," she said. Strider nodded, urging her to continue. "Fairy… Tail."

"You want to join? Master Makarov would love that!" Juvia said, tears trailing down her cheeks as well. Tiasa looked at her before looking at the others, her eyes finally resting on Strider. As they did, Strider gulped. Tiasa let out a pained gasp as her eyes stopped moving and blinking, open as they stared lifelessly at the others. He moved his hand to her neck, looking for a pulse; he continued to her heart, looking for a beat. Strider lowered his head, biting his lip viciously while the others looked on helplessly.

"No, no! TIASA!" Juvia yelled, cradling the Water Wizards dead body in her arms. She hugged the girl tightly, hoping this was all a sick joke. After several minutes however, Juvia found it was real; that Tiasa was dead.

"Oh, no," Lyon said, running his hands over his face.

"DAMN IT!" Natsu roared, the anger of his fire spreading. Gray leaned down on his knees, his head hanging in his hands while Gajeel leaned on a while, trying to get himself under control.

"Strider - we can still…," Juvia began but stopped as she saw his blank expression. He cradled Tiasa in his arms and slowly began to levitate the others. Without a word or comment, they flew to the top of the waterfall and began to make their exit.

-o-

"Stri- oh, no," Erza said, eyes widening in horror as they saw him and the others come through. Juvia had tears streaming down her face while Gajeel, Natsu, Gray, and Lyon looked down in anger and self-loathing. As Strider laid Tiasa down, the others gathered around.

"What happened?" Jura asked urgently.

"The deities of the island. They wanted to sacrifice her to extend their own life," Strider said.

"What?" Jura asked.

"Oya and Tohil - the rain goddess and sun god; centuries ago, they were brought human sacrifices. The people were sacrificed and that helped sustain the deities. However, it's a practice most cultures move away from. The rain goddes, Oya, was at the end of her life, unable to sustain herself without another tribute; that's why the rain has been so out of control - her life force was having an impact on the elements. Tohil… the Sun God - he stabbed Tiasa. I couldn't stop it in time," Strider said.

"Don't blame yourself for this!" Juvia cried out, grabbing on to his arm. Strider didn't reply, looking at Tiasa's body.

"Tiasa…" Eurotas said, coming up on the body. As he saw her, he fell to his knees, tears spilling harder than the rain ever could. He cradled her body with his own and cried and wailed loudly, over the still raging storm.

"The weather will subside," Strider said, looking up. While it was still storming, the rainfall had slowed ever so slightly.

"Wizards…," Eurotas said.

"Yes?" Strider whispered, leaning down.

"The Gods…," he said, looking at him.

"An earthquake buried them," Strider said.

"Good," Eurotas snarled, spitting on the ground he used to worship.

"What do we do now?" Gray asked.

"We shall take care of the rest. It is our duty to bury our people. We thank you for your help," Eurotas said.

"We don't mind helping further," Ichiya said.

"No. Please… leave this to us," Eurotas said. He felt Strider put an arm on his shoulder. Looking down, Strider brought another hand to Tiasa's eyes and shut them.

 _"Man ammen toltha,_

 _I dann hen morn,_

 _Si dannatha,_

 _Nauva,_

 _Melmemma nóren sina,_

 _nur ala ëaro nur…_ Forgive me," Strider whispered under his breath. Finally he stood up and along with the others, turned and left. As they descended, Eurotas continued to cry over his granddaughter.

-o-

The group broke apart with barely a goodbye and headed towards their respective guilds, hearts heavy with sadness. Wendy hugged Strider tightly, burying her head in his side as she continued to cry on the journey. While she didn't know Tiasa well at all, the sight of the body had impacted her greatly. Juvia was at his other side, crying her eyes out. She had begun to like the girl. Having never met another Water Wizard, she finally had a kindred spirit that could've joined the guild, but she would never know now. The journey on the train was only interrupted by the sniffling; otherwise, it was completely silent.

-o-

As Mira saw them come in, she offered a bright smile which immediately turned into a frown. The rain was falling, albeit much lighter, and the group was drenched. Strider looked at her and conjured a small, pained smile before he leaned down and gave Wendy a hug before heading to his room. Wendy, Erza, and Juvia headed to Fairy Hills without saying anything, while Lucy went back to her apartment; Gray and Natsu fell into their seats, heads hanging in their hands. The other guild members looked at each other but opted to say nothing until they knew a bit more.

Finishing up the few duties she had for the light day, Mira went upstairs and knocked on Striders door. Hearing him say _"Enter"_ she walked in, her hands folded above her heart as she looked at him with a frown. As he looked up, she saw that his face indicated that he was immensely tired. She went over and hugged him, saying nothing but letting the gentle and warm touch convey her thoughts. Strider paused before returning the embrace, resting his head against her shoulders as he sighed.

 _'Very similar to her indeed. The hair, the touch, the warmth… everything,'_ he thought before snapping out of it. As he reared back, however, he couldn't stop himself; bringing a hand up, he caressed her cheek gently and stared intensely at her. Mira blushed a gentle red before sitting next to him.

"Are you ok?" she inquired quietly.

"As ok as I can be. The job took a… turn," Strider said, mindlessly taking her hand in his and gently caressing it with a thumb. Mira looked at him worriedly, not even registering the touch; all she saw was the distant look in his eye. She was about to ask what that meant before deciding against it. Bringing her hands to his face, she looked at him with kind eyes before bringing him in for another hug, saying nothing and letting her touch convey everything.


	11. A Cloudless Day

**Ah, the second time I've broken 100,000 words on this story! I want to take a moment to thank you all - to those that read for giving time to the story; to those that favorite for wanting to be updated on its progress; and to those that review (whether praiseworthy or critical) for taking a moment to shed a light on what you think. I appreciate it all very much.**

-o-

"Looks like the sun might finally come out," Cana sighed as she looked outside, swirling her wine glass in her hands. It was a bittersweet moment. She had gotten the short version of what had happened on the job from Strider and as much as she welcomed the change in weather, she felt the cost - both in terms of life and on the psyche - was a bit too much. A few weeks had already passed and day by day, the weather shifted gently until the downpour was all but a gentle drizzle, the gray clouds overhead finally allowing the first rays of light in weeks to shine through.

As she looked at the team that went on the job, their expressions were slowly improving, but still notably downcast. The ones who saw what happened - Juvia, Gray, Natsu, and Gajeel - were the worst for wear. Wendy was obviously shaken as well, being the youngest of the group; while Lucy and Erza were more subdued in usual. Looking at Strider, however, she got a different picture. While he wasn't the poster child of cheer, he appeared to be taking it better than the others - pausing here and there to offer Juvia or Wendy an embrace or moment to talk and advise them on getting better.

Mira saw what was going through Cana's head and had much the same thought. She sighed as her own thoughts turned to the reasoning.

 _'He's probably already seen so much. I suppose it's not surprising,'_ she thought sadly.

Juvia soon got up and with a heavy sigh, exited out the back towards the shoreline. Pausing, Strider soon went after her. He found her sitting, legs hugged to her chest as she looked out on the water with downcast eyes.

"Juvia?" Strider called out softly, his feet pattering on the muddy ground.

"Mmm?" she replied, sparing him a glance before looking ahead again. He sat down next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. Juvia looked at it before turning her gaze to the front yet again. After a long pause, she opened her mouth to speak but soon closed it.

"I understand," Strider said quietly.

"What?" she asked.

"What you're feeling," he said.

"I doubt that," she replied, her voice coming across colder than she meant it to.

"You connected with Tiasa. It makes sense that you would be shaken by the loss," Strider continued.

"You mean her death?" she asked harshly. Strider paused before nodding. "She didn't deserve it."

"I know," Strider said.

"She should've lived! She was… my age. She had an entire life ahead of her and they… they…," Juvia cried, hot tears streaming down her face.

"I know," Strider said again, quieter than before.

"She shouldn't have come with us. If she had stayed with Erza and the others… it would've been fine. But… it's…," Juvia struggled to find the words. Her head drooped further as the tears continued to stream.

"I don't think any of us could've predicted what would happen, Juvia. At least the ones at fault were punished," Strider said.

"Aren't you supposed to be strong?" she suddenly asked quietly.

"I'm sorry?" Strider replied.

"You're strong, aren't you?" she asked, looking at him.

"Comparatively, perhaps," Strider shrugged.

"Why couldn't you sense what he was going to do? Why couldn't you do anything?" she asked, anger trickling into her voice. Strider looked at her without emotion - no sense of pain or hurt at the accusation. With a sigh, he looked ahead.

"I'm not a mind reader, nor am I the fastest man alive. If I knew what they were planning, I would've stopped them. But… I didn't," he said.

"Couldn't you have used your telepathy? Or your telekinesis to keep her blood pumping? Couldn't you have done _anything?!"_ she asked, quickly getting to her feet. She felt a surge of anger and guilt come up but quickly suppressed it.

 _'Isn't he supposed to be powerful?! Didn't he beat Natsu and Erza!? He took on that deity and he beat him! Why didn't he save her?!'_ she thought. Strider looked up at her before staring ahead.

"I'm not that powerful that I can stop people dying. It's not as simple as just keeping the processes going. I know you're angry, Juvia. But… there just wasn't much that we could've done," Strider said. Juvia looked at him for a while longer before heading back tot he guild, tears continuing to flow. Strider sighed and looked down, running his hands through the mud. He felt a surge of hate go through him, the deities that killed Tiasa coming to the forefront of his mind.

 _'Suffer in hell,'_ he thought. He soon heard another pair of feet heading towards his way. Instead of Juvia, however, he saw Erza walking towards him. Her hair stuck matted to her armor as she looked at him with a sense of sorrow. Without a word she sat next to him, looking ahead at the tumultuous sea. After a heavy pause, she spoke.

"How are you dealing with what happened?" she asked softly.

"As well as I can, I suppose. What about you?" Strider asked.

"I wasn't there to witness it; you, the boys, and Juvia were," Erza said.

"Doesn't mean you weren't affected," Strider replied. Erza looked at him with a piercing gaze and frown before sighing.

"I suppose. It could've gone much better, that much is certain. But we can't change what happened. I learned that from my time at the Tower of Heaven. As much as I wish I could go back and stop what happened there… as much as I wish I could've saved Rob or Simon… I can't. I don't have the power to turn back time. I know that it's going to hurt - for a while, or forever - but just as much, we have to move forward," Erza said. Strider listened closely to her tone and words and while he could tell she meant them, he felt a strong undercurrent.

"Always easier said than done," Strider replied.

"How does it feel for you? You've more experience in… fighting," Erza said. Strider scoffed internally.

"You mean killing," he corrected her. Erza didn't answer but he saw a trace of regret flash across her face.

"I don't mean to sound callous. But… yes. I imagine the pain lessens once you've been through a war," she said.

"It never lessens. You never want it to lessen," Strider replied.

"What do you mean?" Erza asked.

"Have you ever killed anyone?" he wondered.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"Have you ever killed anyone? In cold blood or self-defense," he reiterated.

"I… once," she said uncomfortably.

"How did it make _you_ feel?" he wondered.

"I…," Erza trailed off, biting her lip. Immediately afterward, she had continued the ascent and fought Jellal and seen Simon die. Now that she thought about it, she never mulled over her fight against Ikaruga. "I don't know. I haven't ever thought about it. Things were moving fast."

"It's different for everyone, but it never got easier for me - whether to see it done or do it myself. I never wanted it to get easier; I don't want the pain to lessen. I've made myself _feel_ every death. That's how _I_ deal with it. Seeing her like that… perhaps I'm dealing with it better than the others, but it's not because I'm more experienced with it," Strider said.

"What do you mean you made yourself feel every death?" she asked with a frown.

"I'd prefer not to go into the details if it's all the same. Just know that it never gets easier. At least for us, it was the only option available. All others were exhausted," Strider sighed. "Anyways, I'm going to head inside."

"I'll catch up. I need to think for a bit," Erza said, moving past him and closer to the beach.

"As you wish," he replied, heading up the path.

As Erza stared out across the rolling waves, she remembered the mortal blow she had delivered to Ikaruga. It was her final option as well. Ikaruga was a match for her and there was no _'beat her down until unconscious'_ option available. It was a matter of life and death, and she had to do it otherwise it would've been her and her friends that didn't make it out. Nonetheless, Erza felt warm tears trickle down her face as she remembered the pained expression on her opponent. From the top of the path, Strider looked over her.

-o-

As Strider stretched out on his bed, he heard a knock.

"Come in," he answered. He smiled as Cana came in with a couple of glasses and a bottle of liquor for them to enjoy.

"Hey. Thought you could use a pick me up. You free?" she wondered, not waiting for an answer before getting on the bed.

"Happily," Strider sighed, taking the glass and letting her pour him a generous amount of amber liquid. He quickly downed it before taking another.

"How're you feeling?" she asked as she sipped her own, leaning on her arm and inching a bit closer. She scanned his face, admiring the rugged features but noting the tired and weary look that he always seemed to wear.

"Well enough, I suppose. I'd prefer not to talk about the quest again, though, if you don't mind," Strider said preemptively.

"Sure. Sorry. It's just… if you wanted to talk, I'm here," Cana said.

"I appreciate it, Cana," he replied with a kind smile. He laid his back against the headboard and sighed heavily. Taking the initiative, Cana sat at his side and pulled the blanket over both of them.

"Even if you don't want to talk about it, you could really use some company. Handsome guy like you should be used to have girls in bed," she joked, eliciting a chuckle from him - his first since the job ended.

"Of course. Although in those cases, I'm typically laying down and naked," he said.

"Ah, sorry. Like I said, I'm not that kinda girl," Cana smirked.

"Oh? What girl is that?" Strider wondered, leaning closer to her and resting his chin on her shoulder. She turned to face him, her purple eyes boring into his black ones.

"You know," was all she said, leaning forward until their heads were touching. The two continued to stare at each other until a knock interrupted them. Cana quickly moved on to the edge of the bed, while Strider sighed in place.

"Come in," he called out. Mira soon entered, wearing a frown as she looked at them.

 _'Wonder what they were doing?'_ she thought.

"Hey. Just wanted to see if you were free for something," she said.

"Oh? Me? Or Cana?" Strider inquired.

"You," Mira replied.

"Sure. What do you need?" he asked.

"Need to get some shopping done and I could use some help in carrying everything back. Would you mind?" she asked.

"Not at all. Thanks, Cana. Let's pick this up later," Strider said, downing his glass.

"Definitely. Mind if stay here, though? Beds pretty comfortable," Cana said.

"Be my guest," he said before taking his leave. Mira looked at Cana before following. As she shut the door, Cana grumbled.

 _'That was underhanded, Mira,'_ she thought, putting her lips around the bottle and tilting it back.

-o-

"So what do we need?" Strider asked.

"Multiple casks of alcohol, some ingredients, and mugs. They keep getting destroyed," Mira sighed.

"I can see why you need help. Alright, where to? I don't think I've been shopping yet," Strider said.

"Really?" she asked in surprise.

"No need to. Have everything I need at the guild, it seems," Strider said.

"I forgot you still haven't moved out," Mira giggled, leading Strider in the direction of a mall.

"My bad. Guess I'll have to soon enough. Rains stopping at last, so people will probably get into the sway of things soon enough," Strider said, catching some drizzle in his hands.

"It'll be nice, I suppose," Mira said softly. "You're probably getting tired of everyone asking, but are you ok?"

"Well enough, thanks," Strider said, his voice terser than usual. Mira nodded and decided to drop the subject, moving onto something lighter.

"S-Class Trials are going to be soon, by the way," she said.

"I think Cana mentioned them to me a while ago. They appear to be pretty important," he said.

"They are. You need to pass the trial to become an S-Class Wizard. It allows you to take on S-Class and SS-Class Requests without an attending Wizard. You can also try out Decade and Century Quests," Mira said.

"Decade and Century Quests?" Strider asked in interest.

"A Decade Quest is a job that's been up for at least ten years and no one has completed it; Century is the same, but for one hundred years," Mira said.

"There are quests that haven't been completed in all that time?" Strider asked in surprise.

"A few, yeah. Really dangerous, though. Only a few Wizards have ever completed a Decade Quest; only one has made it back alive from a Century Quest," Mira said.

"Do you know who that is?" he wondered.

"I do. He's part of Fairy Tail, actually - Gildarts Clive," Mira said.

"Gildarts? I don't think I've met him yet," Strider said.

"He's still somewhere in the city, I think. He doesn't come to the guild often, though. A lone wolf," Mira said.

"Interesting. Can't wait to meet him. I'd love to hear about his adventures," Strider said.

"You remind me of him a bit," Mira said, putting a finger to her cheek in thought.

"How so?" Strider wondered.

"You're both pretty powerful and easygoing. Even look somewhat similar, although he's older and has orange hair. The last job took a toll on him, but his personality is still the same. I've known him since I started out in Fairy Tail," Mira said.

"A toll?" Strider wondered.

"Natsu told us some of the particulars, but… what's the best way to say this? He had an encounter with a dragon," Mira said. She turned on reflex and saw Strider looking at her in surprise.

"A _dragon_?" he asked.

"Yeah. A black one… kind of… like the one you mentioned in your story, now that I think about it," Mira said, feeling some dread rise in her heart. Gulping, she continued. "It was on his Century Quest. It tore off his left arm, left leg, and gutted him so he has these two massive scars."

"I'm amazed he lived through the encounter. That's quite impressive," Strider said.

"It is, but it just goes to show you how difficult those quests are," Mira sighed before continuing. The rest of the walk was mostly silent as Strider's thoughts drifted to the black dragon.

-o-

"What is this place?" Strider asked in awe as he looked up. It was a building that stood several stories high with a massive amount of people bustling through.

"It's a mall. We can find pretty much everything we need here," Mira said, looking at him and smiling.

"Amazing. We don't have these back home. We mostly use small kiosks and shops. Only things larger than that are our town squares," Strider said. Were it not for his deft movements, he would've been bumping into people constantly. Mira giggled as she saw the look of bewilderment on his face.

"You seem out of it," she said.

"Just a bit. So many people," he said.

"We'll get what we need then grab a bite before heading back," Mira said, taking his arm in hers. Strider looked down at her and saw her blush. "So you won't get lost."

"I don't mind," he said with a smile. Mira returned it before leading him through the multitude of shops, picking up what they needed. She agreed with the shopkeepers to have everything ready for her near the restaurant they would eat at so they wouldn't have to lug everything around. As she and Strider got seated with their food, he began to look around again.

"Amazing. So many people," he said, reiterating his point from before.

"It must be a bit of a shock to you," she said.

"To some extent. We have wide open spaces where I'm from. You could gather the entire population into a given realm and there'd be enough room for them all. Here it seems a bit more… clustered together," Strider said.

"Which do you prefer?" she wondered.

"Both have their charm. Transportation is far easier here than where I'm from. But we're more connected to the land as well. Not to mention… mmm… I think in terms of natural beauty, we might have you guys beat. Although, I suppose Fiore has some things that Middle-Earth definitely does not," Strider said, piercing Mira's gaze with his own. She blushed at the intensity of the look before noticing his smirk.

"Ugh. You're mean," she grumbled, sipping some soda.

"Apologies, m'lady," he said in a dramatic tone, eliciting a giggle from her.

"I'm not a princess, you know," she said.

"I wouldn't have guessed it if I didn't know you," he answered. Mira blushed again but smiled.

"So what's Middle-Earth?" she wondered.

"It's what we call our continent," he said.

"I just realized I don't really know much about where you're from," Mira said with a frown.

"That's probably better discussed in private. It is quite… loud here. So many conversations going on," he said.

"Mirajane," a voice suddenly called out. As Mira turned toward the source, Strider saw her frown. Following her gaze, he saw a handsome gentleman approaching them. He wore a nice white suit with a red dress shirt, his blond hair combed to the side. He wore black boots, almost impeccable even in the rain. The man frowned at Strider before looking at Mira.

"Arthur," she greeted him in a flat tone.

"It's good to see you here," he said.

"Mmm," Mira replied, looking at Strider before looking at the man again.

"It's been a while," Arthur continued.

"It has. What brings you here?" she wondered.

"Just needed to pick something up. I'm surprised to find you here, though. And you are…?" he asked Strider.

"Strider. New member of Fairy Tail," Strider said.

"Pleasure. Are you two…?" he wondered.

"We are," Mira answered suddenly, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Strider and a look of surprise from Arthur. Looking upwards at the man, Strider saw his jaw tighten before loosening up; continuing to look around, he saw that people were staring at them and began to pick up bits and pieces of the gossip.

"Did you hear that?!" a woman whispered to her boyfriend.

"Mirajane is dating that guy?" a man asked in shock.

"Who is he?" another wondered.

"Dunno. Can't decide who got luckier, though," his friend said, licking her lips as she eyed Strider.

"He seems a bit… mature," an older woman said.

"The hell is he wearing?" another wondered.

"I see. Mira, do you have a moment?" Arthur asked.

"Sorry, but no. We have to get back to the guild. Our stuff should be just about ready," Mira said.

"It'll only take a moment," Arthur said.

"No. Let's go, Strider," Mira said.

"Take care," Strider said to the man before leaving with Mira. He felt the blond's eyes stare into the back of his head and frowned. Chancing a look back, he saw a few more men approaching the blond.

 _'Looks like there's gonna be trouble,'_ he thought with a weary sigh.

-o-

Strider and Mira began walking back towards the guild in silence. Whenever he looked at her, Mira would blush and look away. Sighing, Strider looked ahead before glancing back and frowning; a vehicle appears to be following them.

"Let's go down here," Strider suddenly said, turning into a narrow alley. Mira sighed as she looked back and saw his motive; the car had blocked the alley and the blond got out, along with what appeared to be his bodyguards.

"Mira, I just want to talk," he said.

"And I told you that _I_ don't want to," she said coldly.

"Would you mind giving us a moment?" the man asked Strider.

"I'm not so sure that'd be a good idea," Strider said.

"Why?" Arthur wondered

"Well, considering you blocked that alley just to get alone with Mira, I can't imagine your intentions are all that pure. Plus, she doesn't want to talk to you. Just leave and we can all get on with our lives," Strider said. The man sighed and shook his head.

"This doesn't concern you," he said.

"It appears it does. She is my girlfriend, after all," Strider said, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. Mira blushed a deep red.

 _'WHAT DID HE SAY?!'_ she squealed inside her head before deflating. _'Crap. I told him we were a couple. Wait - why am I having this conversation with myself?! Why am I getting flustered?!'_

"You move on quick, Mirajane," the man said, his voice cold.

"What do want, Arthur? Just tell me so we can get this over with already," Mira said wearily.

"I want you to give me another chance," he said.

"No," she replied without hesitation.

"Why not? Look, I made a mistake, but-," he began before she cut him off.

"You call what you did a mistake?" she asked coldly.

"Mir-," he began before she cut him off again.

"You hurt me. You know _exactly_ what you did," Mira asked, anger seeping into her voice. Strider looked at her in surprise before looking to the man, who frowned again.

"I'm sorry. I know that was wrong, b-," he began before being cut off again.

"Enough. We're leaving. Take care, Arthur," Mira said, turning her back on him. She only got a few feet before she heard pattering behind her. The two men that flanked him were heading towards her and Strider. They didn't get far before Mira suddenly changed. It was the first time Strider saw her transformation. Where once stood Mira now stood something else entirely; he saw a blood vein running down the right side of her face, across the eye. Similar vessels were around her body and thighs, dark and menacing. Her white hair was wild, jutting upwards and curling with the front ponytail growing longer. Her ears extended backwards and became pointed and her teeth grew sharper; her lips were covered in dark lipstick. Along her forearms where scales and finlike protrusions while sharp claws covered her hands. A large, stocky, metallic tail whipped the air behind her, with a pair of bat wings above it. Instead of the red dress she usually wore, she was now wearing a revealing one piece that left little to the imagination; her cleavage and stomach were bared as were her thighs and forearms. She wore red leggings from just above the knee, all the way down. Around her neck was a spiky collar.

All she had to do was growl at the men to send both of them running back. Looking at Arthur, Strider saw the man begin to sweat before tripping as he back away towards the car. Much too slow, however; Mira was soon in front of him in the blink of an eye. The tail jutted towards his face, stopping an inch from puncturing it.

"Never approach me again, or it'll end differently," she said. The man nodded viciously before scrambling into the car and leaving with his bodyguards. With a sigh, Mira looked back at Strider who looked on in interest.

 _'Damn it. He…,'_ she thought before Strider soon closed the distance between them, examining her transformation.

"Amazing," he whispered.

"W-what?" she asked in surprise.

"This transformation. It's… I don't know what else to call it. Amazing," he said again.

"You think so?" she asked uncertainly.

"I do. So this is a Takeover?" he wondered.

"Y-yeah. One of them, at least," Mira said, shifting back into her dress. She looked back at Strider, biting her lip. "I'm sorry about that."

"Not a problem. Let's head back to the guild. You can tell me on the way," he said, taking off his cloak and putting it around her. Mira hugged it close and nodded, leading the way.

"I dated him for a couple of weeks a while back," she said with a sigh.

"Why'd you break up?" he wondered.

"I was doing some shopping and I saw him in a store, talking with someone. I was about to surprise him when he started talking about me," Mira said.

"Talking about you?" Strider asked, frowning.

"Yeah. Mmm… he was really happy that going out with me made him the talk of the town. A handsome guy and a pretty girl. He was telling them how he couldn't wait to sleep with me and that I was probably great in bed. Right after that, he called me a slut; that a girl that looked like me probably got around," Mira said. She felt Strider put a comforting hand on her shoulder; she gave him a sad smile before touching his hand, drawing warmth from his presence. "I came in and he had this look of surprise. I broke up with him on the spot before heading to the guild. He came by every day for weeks, looking for me. Lisanna and Cana helped keep him away, though. If I had seen him again at that time, I would've sent him flying."

"What a jerk," Strider said.

"Seriously. Besides… It… I… I've never…," Mira trailed off uncomfortably before turning red, wondering why she even brought up the subject. Stealing a look at Strider again, she saw him smile at her.

"Best to take these things at your own pace. No need to rush," Strider said kindly, reiterating his statement from the Blue Mountains. Putting his arm around her shoulders, the two continued to talk back in comfortable silence and warmth.

-o-

After helping Mira store everything away, Strider took a seat with Bisca. The beautiful gun mage offered him a drink that he happily accepted before looking around the guild.

"Looks like the lifting rain has done wonders for peoples moods," he said.

"Yeah. I think it's bittersweet for everyone, though. They all know what happened," Bisca said. As he looked back at her, Bisca sighed. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna ask. Lord knows Mira, Cana, and Erza probably already did."

"Ha. Thanks. It's… mmm…," Strider trailed off, swirling the liquid in the glass.

"I know. It ain't easy to see, but it's something everyone deals with eventually. Worst wake up call I ever had," Bisca said bitterly.

"Oh?" Strider frowned.

"Yeah. I'm from the Western Continent, Alakitasia. Where I grew up, things weren't always peachy like they are here. It wasn't surprising to see people die on the streets," Bisca said.

"I'm sorry to hear that. It sounds like you've been through a lot," Strider said.

"I guess. It never gets easier, does it?" she asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

"No, it doesn't. But do you want it to?" he wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe? It'd hurt less. A lot of people that did the dying were good folks. They didn't deserve it. But… I know what happened to the people that didn't hurt when it happened. I don't want to be like them," Bisca said with a shiver.

"It's always hard. I'm thankful for that, though. I never… it should never be easy. The day I become immune is the day I've lost myself," Strider said darkly. Bisca looked at him but didn't reply, opting to pour him a generous amount instead.

"Anyways, you think you'll get chosen for the S-Class Trials?" she asked, abruptly changing the topic. Strider welcomed the change and took a sip before answering.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. Maybe. I'm not sure if I deserve it, though. I haven't been part of the guild long enough, for one," he said.

"You're family," Bisca said firmly, eliciting a smile.

"Thanks for that," he said.

"I mean it. As soon as you join us, you're family. Besides, you've won the race, did an S-Class job, and an SS-Class job without breaking a sweat from what I hear. I'd be surprised if Master Makarov didn't choose you," Bisca said.

"Ah, you're embarrassing me, Bisca," Strider said sheepishly.

"Don't tell me you're one of those guys that blush when a girl compliments them," she smirked.

"Of course not. That said, I try not to rest on my laurels," he said with a chuckle.

"Humble, then?" she offered.

"It wouldn't be very humble if I called myself humble, would it?" he wondered.

"Ha. Dunno. Guess not. It's ok to brag here and there, though. Just listen to Natsu, Gray, or Gajeel sometime. They can't help but brag and we still love them," Bisca said.

"Speaking of which, how do you think they're holding up?" Strider asked with a sigh, looking sideways. The Dragon Slayers and Ice Wizard were notably less boisterous the past few weeks.

"I think… it got to them. They haven't had it easy, you know. I'm sure it brought up memories they'd rather stay buried. They try to act like the tough guys all the time, but they're all softies at heart," Bisca said.

"I'm sure part of them is blaming themselves for letting her die," Strider said.

"Does that go for you as well?" she wondered.

"It does. I can't imagine that not being the case. Even when I try to tell myself that it wasn't my fault or that I couldn't have done anything - the feeling still remains," he said grimly. Bisca poured him another glass, gently clinking it with her own. The two continued to sit in silence, that silence conveying what the other thought.

-o-

As the guild began to empty for the night, Strider helped Mira put everything back in place.

"Thanks for all the help today. Sorry for the trouble back at the mall," Mira said, hugging him.

"Not at all. Heading home?" he wondered.

"Yeah. I'm calling it in early tonight," she sighed.

"I'll walk you back," Strider said.

"You don't have to. I can take care of myself," she said.

"Oh, I know. Still, I'd like to," he said. Biting her lip, Mira acquiesced. As they walked under the cloudy and cool night, Strider again put his cloak around Mira. She held it close and smiled as she felt the warmth that always took hold when he put it on.

"This is nice," she said softly.

"What is?" Strider wondered.

"Oh, sorry. Just thinking out loud," Mira said.

"Got it. But yeah, I guess it is. A cold, cloudy night with a beautiful girl. What else can a guy ask for, right?" Strider chuckled, putting his arm around her shoulders. Mira smiled and leaned in, feeling even more at peace. The rest of the walk passed in a comfortable silence until they arrived at her doorstep. She and Strider saw Elfman and Lisanna watching TV in the living room, their backs turned to the two. Putting his cloak back on, Mira gave him a hug before getting on the step to get a bit of height.

"Well?" Strider wondered.

"Hmm? Well what?" she asked, brow furrowed.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" he asked.

"I don't… think so?" she said, thinking hard.

"Wow. You're quite a forgetful girlfriend, aren't you?" Strider chuckled.

"What?" she asked, turning red.

"Didn't you say we were going out earlier? Your boyfriend is waiting for his good night kiss," Strider smirked. Mira turned even redder as he leaned in a bit more, the intensity of his gaze overwhelming. Much like the first time he walked her home, she didn't feel threatened or uneasy but choked nonetheless. She rested her hands on his shoulders, hearing her heart thump against her chest.

"I-I-I… didn't… I…," Mira trailed off, closing her eyes as she felt his presence. Opening them ever so slightly, she saw that all that separated them now was around a foot. Finally, though, Strider leaned back.

"Well, that was fun," he laughed.

"Don't tell me that the only reason you walked me back was so you could tease me," she mumbled, still red.

"Part of it. I enjoy being around you. It really was a nice walk," Strider said. Mira smiled and nodded, giving him a quick hug. As she lingered, she kissed him on the cheek, resting her lips there for several seconds before heading inside, still bright red. With one last look, Strider headed back as well.

-o-

"Hey sis, got some food for you," Elfman called out. Mira paid him no attention as she quickly headed to her room, slamming the door shut and heading to the window. She saw Striders slowly receding form in the distance, his cloak billowing behind him. As she got into bed, she brought her hand to her cheek and felt how hot it was.

 _'Why did I say that?! Wait, I know why I said it! But… why… ugh. Did he really mean that, though? Did he really want me to kiss him? I wonder if he's had any relationships? I wonder how it's different up there? Does he tease everyone like this? No… I've spent a lot of time with him. He seems to like being around me. I know I like being around him. Mmm… I wonder if he got chosen for the S-Class Trial? I don't want to be away to long if he wasn't. Maybe once they're done, we can spend some more time together. Yeah. I'd like that. Mmm… Strider,'_ she thought, smiling as his name and face came to the forefront of her mind. Almost unknowingly, her right hand began to descend down the side of her body. She gently pulled up the hem of her skirt, biting her lip as her fingers continued to inch ever closer to nirvana. With him heavy on her mind, she got to work.

-o-

As Strider re-entered his room, he saw that he wasn't alone; Cana was still in his bed, the bottle of liquor on the floor. He went over and gently shook her awake, laughing internally.

"Mmm… hey, what time is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as she got up.

"Almost midnight," he answered in a low, gentle voice.

"Crap, I gotta head back to Fairy Hills. Ugh… my head," she groaned.

"Come on, I'll help you back," he said.

"T-t-thanks," she yawned, putting her arms around his neck and letting him do the work. Strider chuckled and carried her princess style, opening the window with his magic before flying out it. The rain drizzled over them, although she barely seemed to notice; soon, they were hovering in front of her window. Strider entered and finally let her get on her feet. Cana stretched before flashing him a smile. To his intrigue, she took his hand and led him towards the bed.

"What happened to not being that kind of girl?" he wondered, keeping his voice soft so the proprietor wouldn't overhear.

"I'm not. You're outta luck, though," she said, nodding at the clock.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

"It's past midnight now. That means all the windows and doors to the guild are magically sealed. You won't be getting in, even with your magic. If you force it, alarms going to bring everyone running back to the guild," she giggled.

"Seriously?" he groaned.

"Yup. Sorry about that. But I'll make it up to you," she said.

"How's that?" he wondered.

"You can crash here for the night," she said, winking at him. Strider smirked and obliged, getting comfortable on the bed.

"Nuh-uh - the chair, big boy," she said.

"I let you sleep on my bed! This is the least you can do," he said.

"Nope," she said.

"Come on," he said.

"Nuh-uh," she smirked.

"I make a pretty good pillow. Don't tell me you haven't been curious about that," he said. Cana blushed but quickly recovered; looking around, she sighed. She took off her jeans, keeping on only her bra and panties before getting comfortable in the bed as well.

"Hope you don't mind. This is how I usually sleep," she said, resting her head on his chest. She bit her lip and moved one of her legs over his, gently running her foot up and down a few inches.

"Not at all," Strider whispered, beginning to weave a hand through her hair. Cana shivered at the touch; while rough, it had a warmth she couldn't ever recall falling. The hand continued to go down her hair before touching her bare skin. Strider began to run a finger up and down her back, sending pleasurable sensations up and down her body.

"What're you doing?" she whispered.

"Having fun, I suppose. Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked.

"Not really. Just haven't had anyone try that yet," she said, looking up. He was staring at the ceiling, a light smile on his lips. Cana snuggled a bit closer, burying her face in his necks, her lips resting gently along the base. She felt him gently rub her back, taking care not to drop too far down.

"Let's get some rest, shall we?" he suggested.

"Right. Good night, Strider," she whispered.

"Sweet dreams, Cana," he replied.

-o-

Cana took special care to wake up a bit earlier than usual the following morning, despite the slight hangover. She noted quickly that her position had changed considerably; whereas she had been slightly off to the side the night before, right now she was laying right on top of Strider. Her breasts were squished against his chest, her arms wrapped around him and her legs on either side. She blushed as she looked down, thankful that he had decided not to take off any of his clothes, otherwise the situation might've quickly evolved. She felt one of his hands resting on the back of a thigh while the other was placed at her lower back; and as she scanned his face, she saw the ghost of a smile.

"Strider. Time to wake up," she said. Almost immediately his eyes began to flutter open; and almost immediately after that, Cana found her on her back, Strider hovering over her. His hair fell around him, tickling her face while his hands interlocked with hers, pinning her down gently.

"Ah. My bad. It's been a while since I woke up with someone on top of me," he laughed before standing up and stretching.

"I find _that_ hard to believe. You weren't kidding. You're a really great pillow," she giggled.

"You're welcome to use me for a bit longer if you want," he suggested.

"Kind of you, but we have to get going. I gotta go on a job soon," she sighed.

"Alright. I'll go ahead of you, I guess. Thanks for letting me stay the night," Strider said, cupping her face with a hand and kissing her on the cheek. As he left through the window, Cana felt the spot he kissed her burning a bright red.

-o-

"Stayed out last night?" Mira wondered as Strider took a seat at the bar.

"A rowdy night, full of debauchery and drinking," Strider said.

"Uh-huh," she smiled, attending to her duties. "Oh, there's someone here for you."

"Someone for me?" he wondered. Mira nodded to a corner where a man with orange hair and a black, high-collared cloak with shoulder plates was sitting. Underneath the cloak, Strider could make out black pants as well as a metal belt. He assumed that this was Gildarts. As he walked over, he noted that several eyes were on him. As she entered, Cana was looking in his direction as well.

"Hello," he said, taking a seat opposite the Ace of Fairy Tail.

"Hi there. You must be Strider," Gildarts said with a wise smile.

"I am. You're Gildarts?" he wondered.

"That's me. Makarov's told me a bit about you," Gildarts smiled, shaking his hand.

"And Mira told me a bit about you as well. She wasn't kidding. Forgive me. You seem to have taken some damage," Strider said, noting the prosthetic arm and leg.

"That's putting it mildly. Son of a bitch damn near gutted me," Gildarts sighed.

"Fighting a dragon is always a dangerous task. Best to avoid it where possible," Strider said.

"You interact with them much?" GIldarts inquired.

"I have here and there. Not this black one, though. I did come across a dragon a while back, near Mt. Hakobe. He mentioned a black dragon called Acnologia. Does that name ring a bell to you?" Strider wondered.

"I can't be sure if this one was the same, but it might've been. Definitely black and it had blue markings. Massive jaw that could've swallowed me whole. I barely made it out alive. Attacks didn't do a damn thing," Gildarts sighed.

"No reason to beat yourself over it. Even the most experienced hunter soon has his day," Strider said. Gildarts grinned and nodded, taking a swig before looking Strider up and down.

"I hear you're pretty strong," he said.

"Others might think more highly of me than I do," Strider said.

"Yup. Makarov said you were modest as well," the Ace laughed.

"I couldn't possibly comment on my modesty. That'd be fairly immodest," Strider replied with a chortle.

"It's fine to take some praise here and there. Not many wizards can handily finish an S-Class, SS-Class, and beat a minor deity on their own," Gildarts said.

"I had plenty of help," Strider replied.

"If you say so. So, are you gonna stick around or what?" Gildarts inquired.

"I think so. Suffice it to say that Fairy Tail has grown on me," Strider said, looking around the guild. Gildarts grin grew every time Strider's head paused as it locked eyes with one of the beauties, whether it be Mira, Cana, Erza, or the others.

"They do that to you. I've traveled all of Fiore and I haven't come across another guild like it," Gildarts said with a fond look.

"Been part of it long?" Strider wondered.

"Since I was a boy. It's been 30 or so years, now that I think about it," Gildarts said, leaning back a little.

"Are you going to stick around? Mira mentioned that you're something of a lone wolf," Strider said.

"For another week or so. I agreed to help Makarov with something. After that, I'll head out on another Quest. Something easier this time," Gildarts sighed.

"A Decade Quest, perhaps?" Strider asked nonchalantly.

"So you know about the higher level requests?" Gildarts asked.

"Only found out about them last night. I have to say that it's piqued my interest. A job that's been around for ten or one hundred years? Whatever it is must be monstrous," Strider said thoughtfully.

"Most likely. There's only a handful of each, though. Maybe ten Decade Quests and four Century Quests in total," Gildarts informed him. "So, I'm curious…,"

"Hmm? About what?" Strider wondered.

"Come on! You said Mira told you about me! That must mean you've been spending some time with her, eh?" Gildarts asked, turning into a school boy in front of Strider's eyes. The new Fairy couldn't help but laugh at the reaction.

"Friends for now. Maybe even good friends. Hopefully, great friends. I think that's all I'll say on that, however," Strider chuckled.

"Ha. Whatever you say," Gildarts said, downing his cup before getting up. "Anyways, time for me to call it day."

"It's still morning," Strider said.

"Yeah, but these babies require that I rest often," Gildarts said, pointing to his bandaged scars. Bidding Strider a farewell, he left.

"Hey, Strider!" Lucy suddenly said, coming over.

"What's up, Lucy?" he wondered.

"I picked out this Request. Think you could come with?" she asked.

"Sure. You let the others know?" Strider wondered.

"Ah… I was hoping to keep this one small. I _really_ need to make rent and I don't wanna risk anything getting destroyed," the blonde deadpanned. Chuckling, Strider nodded. Getting the Request approved, the two quietly slipped out.

-o-

"Seems simple enough," Strider said as he sat across from her on the train. It was a short job, requesting a wizards aid in defeating a low-level monster in a small town just a short jaunt by train from Magnolia.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that," she sighed.

"Is it really that bad with the others?" he wondered.

"Ugh, you've no idea. I love them like family, but Erza, Gray, and Natsu are the siblings that break everything and then you have to end up paying for them," Lucy grumbled.

"What about Wendy?" he wondered.

"Wendy's fine. She's pretty mature for her age, now that I think about it," Lucy said, putting a finger to her chin.

"You know, I was a bit surprised to learn about how you came to Fairy Tail," Strider said. Just as he finished, the train hit a small jump, launching Lucy at the Fairy. As she came to her senses, she noted that her head was touching his, their lips separated by a few inches. As she unconsciously took in his scent, she felt a small rush go through her body as a bright blush crept on her cheeks. Her hands were resting on his shoulders and she felt a particularly tender spot on his left shoulder. His hands were supporting her on her hips, making sure that she didn't compromise herself further.

"CRAP! SORRY!" she squealed, rearing back.

"No worries. I don't mind," Strider said with a chuckle, rubbing his left shoulder. She noted a slight bead of sweat emanating from his hair but decided not to comment on it.

"S-s-so what did you mean?" she stammered, still blushing brightly.

"Oh. Right. I was talking about how I was surprised - but impressed - to learn that you left behind so much wealth and prestige to set out on your own," Strider said.

"Oh. Ha… it wasn't much, really," she said sheepishly, her blush dying down a bit, but still keeping her cheeks rosy.

"I disagree. I've met a lot of people that were born into positions of power and wealth. Only a handful could stand to give it all up, I think. Whatever you might think or whatever others might say, it was a brave decision," Strider said.

"Thanks. I still love my dad, you know. He could've been… nicer about trying to bring me back home, but I still love him. I hope he sees things my way soon," Lucy sighed. Strider moved over to her side and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Looking towards him, Lucy leaned in a bit closer. Despite not ever being intimate with another person before, something about his presence gave her a sense of peace. She wasn't sure whether it was his attitude, his strength, or a combination of many factors - but his very presence brought about a sense of safety and comfort. Strider smiled and put his arm around her, holding her close as he looked out the window. Lucy tried her best to stop from reacting as she usually did when he said something suggestive.

"Mind if I ask you something?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Strider nodded.

"How'd you get so strong?" she asked.

"I'm sorry?" he countered, surprised by the question.

"I mean… Erza, Natsu, and Gray are pretty strong. But the jobs we've done so far, you've finished like they were nothing. You didn't even have to fight that bird that and you pretty much destroyed that thing in the mountains," Lucy said.

"Lots of training," Strider answered simply.

"Is it that simple?" she asked.

"Mostly. Hmm… I started training when I was extremely young. I just never stopped doing that. I've progressed my magic at every stage I could, choosing telekinesis in particular because of all the offensive and defensive capabilities. I've had great teachers along the way as well, though," Strider said.

"Got it," Lucy nodded.

"What about you, though? What made you want to become a Celestial Wizard?" Strider wondered.

"Oh. That was my mother, actually. She was a pretty strong Celestial Wizard as well and she left me some of her keys - Cancer, Taurus, and Aquarius being the big ones," Lucy said with a soft smile.

"What kind of person was she?" Strider asked quietly.

"My mother? Oh wow… she was amazing. Strong and talented and beautiful. All her spirits loved and respected her so much. She's the one who taught me that spirits aren't things that you use… they're family and you have to take care of them and love them like they are. I owe her everything," Lucy said softly.

"She'd be proud of you," Strider said.

"Think so?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"Definitely. A beautiful, strong daughter. Any parent would be," Strider said. Lucy blushed before looking ahead at the seat he previously occupied, still smiling.

"Thanks," she whispered. "If… you don't mind me asking, what were your parents like?"

"I don't remember much of them, I'm afraid. They both died when I was really young. The man who raised me was a great man, though. He's the one that taught me everything; how to read and write, math and magic, herblore and combat, metallurgy and more," Strider said with a fond smile.

"He seems like a really smart guy," Lucy said, eyes widening slightly in surprise. She knew that Natsu could barely concentrate on learning one thing, let alone a vast array. Even Levy would have difficulty keeping it all in mind, she thought.

"He is. I was lucky to have come across him. That said, he is a bit… reclusive," Strider sighed.

"Reclusive?" Lucy wondered.

"Even during the war, he barely participated. He accompanied me for a little while, but only to keep a record of what was going on. I don't think he did much beyond relaying a few messages," Strider said.

"Is he really old?" she wondered.

"Fairly, yes," Strider said.

"He never… I dunno, had kids or something?" she wondered.

"None that I'm aware of. Never know. Maybe he got drunk one night and knocked someone up, but I doubt it," Strider chuckled.

"Please tell me you're not speaking from experience," Lucy grumbled.

"Certainly not. I prefer to enjoy it completely," Strider said, leaning in to whisper in her ear. Lucy quickly hopped to the other side, turning a bright red. "Ha. Sorry about that. After spending so long traveling, I need to get all the teasing out of my system. I'm afraid I have months of it to make up."

"Kind of starting to regret asking you out now," Lucy grumbled.

"Oh. So this is a date, then?" Strider wondered.

"What? WHAT? NO! IT ISN'T!" Lucy yelped.

"Ah… no need to sound so enthusiastic about it not being a date. You'll hurt a guys feelings like that," Strider said.

"Ugh, you're seriously the worst. At least Natsu doesn't even know how to tease," Lucy grumbled.

"Do you really want me to stop?" Strider asked, his tone suddenly serious although the ghost of a smile remained. Lucy opened her mouth to speak but soon shut it, turning a deep shade of red instead.

-o-

"I knew it was a good idea asking you along!" Lucy said excitedly, cuddling the hefty sack of jewel as she and Strider walked towards the train station. The job went off without a hitch, ending in a matter of seconds with their combined effort.

"I'm more than happy to help," Strider replied.

"We need to do this more often. I forgot what it felt like to do a job and actually keep the reward!" she said, ridiculously excited about the outcome.

"I'll try to have a talk with Natsu and Gray about toning it down someday," Strider chuckled.

"You've been a good influence on them so far, now that I think about it. At least, the last three jobs they didn't wreck anything," Lucy said thoughtfully. Her thoughts immediately turned as they arrived at the train station to find that the train had just broken down.

"Sorry folks. It's gonna be at least a day before we get it up and running again," the conductor explained.

"What now?" Lucy frowned.

"I have a suggestion if you're comfortable with it," Strider said.

"What is it?" she wondered.

"We can just fly back," Strider said.

"Seriously?!" Lucy asked excitedly.

"Yup. Of course, you're going to have to hold on tight," Strider said. Lucy blushed but looked at the train. Gently biting her lip, she looked back at Strider and got close.

"Don't… try anything funny," she mumbled.

"I won't," he whispered, quickly scooping her up princess style. Lucy blushed at the position but her thoughts quickly changed as she and Strider immediately rocketed into the air, cratering the ground below a bit. She buried her face in his chest in fear before slowly lifting it, chancing a glance at her surroundings. Her eyes went wide as she looked around. The sight was enough to make her cry a bit; she could see towns far and wide, the glimmering ocean in the distance, vast forests, snowcapped mountains, and people scurrying directly below, some looking up to see the two in flight.

"Oh my goodness…," she whispered.

"Enjoy it?" Strider wondered.

"You… have… no idea. This is amazing," she said. Strider soon began heading towards Magnolia at a high speed, although Lucy couldn't tell exactly how fast they were going. All she knew was that no more than half the time it took in the train, she saw the river that ran in front of her house.

"Hey! That's where I live!" she squealed in joy. Strider smiled and set down directly in front of her place, thankful that no one else was around this very moment.

"THAT WAS AMAZING!" Lucy cried out, hugging him tightly.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," Strider chuckled.

"LUCY!" a voice suddenly cried out. An elderly woman appeared at the door, making Lucy stand up straight.

"Yes, ma'am! Here you go! The rent for the month!" Lucy said, portioning some out. The woman looked at her and Strider before heading back inside. As she left, Lucy let out an audible sigh before smiling at Strider again.

"Thanks. Seriously," she said.

"I was happy to help, Lucy. Let me know if I can ever be of service," Strider said.

"I will. Hey, you wanna come in for some tea?" she offered.

"Sure," Strider said. Lucy led him into her cozy room. As Strider sat on the couch, he patiently waited for Lucy to come back. As he waited, he saw something on the table - what appeared to be a stack of paper. As he began looking through it, he figured what it was; a draft for a book Lucy was working on.

"This is well written, Lucy," he called out.

"Wha- OH NO!" she cried out, turning red as she saw the papers in his hand. She quickly ran over and snatched them, holding them against her chest as she shot him a look.

"Ah. My apologies. I figured it was okay as they were just laying around. I'm serious, though - great writing," Strider said.

"You… think so? I dunno. I only just started a little while ago," Lucy blushed.

"I do. Parts could use _some_ improvement, though," Strider said.

"Oh? Like what?" Lucy wondered, looking through it.

"Well, there's that one part where she takes him into her bedroom and-," Strider began. Lucy immediately put a hand to his lips, turning a bright red as she looked down.

"Teas ready," she said, running off to get it. She tried to change the subject as she sat next to him.

" _Flying…_ wow," she said.

"It's something else, that's for certain," Strider said.

"How long can you fly for?" she wondered.

"Depends. At full strength, I can keep it going without pause for at least a few days, but I get notably slower. It took a week of constant flight to get here, but I had to really push myself to the brink," Strider said.

"Do you think that was a good idea?" she wondered, frowning.

"It… was necessary," Strider said, caressing the cup with a thumb as he stared into the swirling liquid. Lucy put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Strider smiled as he took it in his, gently caressing it with a thumb. The two looked at each other for a long time before Lucy blushed madly and looked away. Finishing his tea in silence, Strider got up.

"I better head back to the guild. I'll see you soon?" he asked.

"Definitely. Just want to… get something done real quick," she said.

"Ah. Gonna write that scene?" he wondered.

"Please stop," she grumbled. Chuckling, Strider leaned down and kissed her atop her head before taking his leave. Lucy felt the spot burn and felt a hotness on her cheeks. She looked back at the papers and flipped through the pages he was talking about, biting her lip. As she leaned back in her seat, the new Fairy was heavy on her mind.

-o-

"Enjoy your job?" Mira wondered.

"I did. Lucy's pretty powerful, you know. More than capable of holding her own. Who knew the Lucy Kick could send a monster scurrying?" Strider laughed.

"Yeah. Natsu and Gray love to fight, though, which is why they get more of the action, I think," Mira giggled.

"That much is certain. Looks like they're doing better," Strider said. Natsu and Gray were currently in each others faces, talking about what he assumed were the S-Class Trials.

"I think so as well. I don't think they'll ever get over it completely, but I think it's sunk in a bit over the last few weeks. They couldn't have done anything about it. I should know," Mira sighed sadly. Strider reached across the table and took her hand in his, gently caressing it. Mira smiled at the gesture and was about to reply in kind when someone noticed.

"OH NO! THAT'S SO NOT MANLY!" Elfman roared, taking the seat next to Strider. Lisanna sat on the other one and giggled.

"Come on, Elf - Striders great!" she giggled.

"At least someone thinks so," Strider said with a chuckle.

"It's not manly to sleep with an-," Elfman began before he suddenly felt Mira's She-Devil aura come to ahead. Gulping, he turned and saw her hair beginning to whip around.

"You _really_ don't want to finish that sentence, little brother," she said, conjuring up a sweet, evil smile. Elfman nodded vigorously before quickly scurrying away, Lisanna giggling behind him.

"Guess we know who wears the pants around the house," Strider laughed.

"Sorry about that," Mira sighed.

"It's fine. Can't blame him for looking out for his sister. That said, should we ever get to that stage, I promise that I'll take good care of you," Strider winked. Mira turned a blood red that Strider had never seen before. Jovial that he elicited the reaction he wanted, he quickly went to his room, leaving a sputtering Mira in his wake.

"All in a day's work, I see," he soon heard a voice.

"Hey, Erza," Strider said. She followed him into his room and took a seat on the edge of the bed while Strider got it.

"I wanted to apologize for yesterday," she said with a sigh.

"For what?" he wondered.

"Reflecting on it, I think I was a bit callous in my questions," she said.

"It's fine. I can understand why you'd be curious. It's not an easy topic for me - or anyone, I think - to talk about. You eventually get to a point where even thinking about it all is painful," Strider said. Erza moved closer to him and put a hand on his shoulder. As Strider mindlessly touched it, Erza felt a jolt go through her.

"Just… if you ever do need to talk, I will be here for you. Like you are for me," Erza said, remembering her conversation with him after the job in the Blue Mountains. Strider smiled and pulled her in for a hug. Erza wondered what to do for a minute; she wasn't often in intimate positions with the rest of her roommates, but Strider seemed to enjoy them. Eventually, she simply leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder and a hand on his stomach. As she began to move the hand up and down, she noted what Mira told him about his scars. Her hand began to move towards the hem of his shirt. As she slipped it underneath, however, Strider grasped her wrist.

"What're you doing?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"I… forgive me. I didn't… I… Mira…," Erza said, trying to find the words. Strider held her gaze for a long while before he sighed and released her wrist, looking ahead. Erza gulped, wondering what to do. After a long pause, she withdrew her hand and opted to instead hug him tightly, resting her head against his. Strider put his arms around her and pulled her close as well. As she got more comfortable in the bed, the two held each other, looking out the window as the sun kept on creeping out.


	12. S-Class

Team Natsu had just gotten back from yet another job. The past few weeks kept everyone surprisingly busy as they knew the announcement would be happening anytime soon. Strider barely had any time to tease the girls; as soon as they returned to the guild, everyone was off on another job. Finally, however, he had gotten a reprieve. He watched everyone scurrying to Mira, eager to had in their most recent requests. Finally, as they filed away, she sighed.

"It's always hectic this time of year," she said with a fond smile. She knew better than anyone how important S-Class Trials were and how hard everyone tried to finish them.

"I can tell. I kind of feel like an outsider looking in right now. I figured S-Class Trials were important but I didn't think it was like this," Strider said.

"Even Natsu and Gray are picking up the slack," she giggled.

"You've no idea. I haven't done anything these last few jobs; they both get to the monster first and it's taken care of by the time we all get there. Been nice to relax," Strider chuckled. "That said, who do you think is going to make this year?"

"Honest answer? I'm gonna say Cana," she said.

"I think I'd agree," Strider said.

"Really?" Mira wondered.

"Yup. I've spent some time with her. Sure she hits the bottle pretty hard, but her magic levels are intense. Hasn't she already made the cut several times?" he asked.

"Yup. Five, I believe," Mira said.

"How many times have Natsu or Gray made it?" he wondered.

"If they get chosen, that'll be their first," Mira answered.

"And they're around the same age, I believe. So it's clear to me that she's tough. Not to mention, her Magic is fairly versatile. I think I'd put my money on her," Strider said.

"You've spent a lot of time with her," Mira said, leaning over the bar.

"She's fun to be around," Strider said, winking back at her. "Speaking of which, where is she?"

"Here," Cana said, making herself known. She handed the finished flyer to Mira before smiling and sitting by Striders side. "Heard you talking about me."

"Just saying how if I were a betting man, my money would be on you this time," Strider said.

"Thanks. Have to see if I get chosen, though," Cana sighed, tilting her head back and rolling it. Strider put a hand on her shoulder, gently massaging it. She smiled appreciatively at him but her head soon snapped forward as Makarov's voice boomed over the din.

"ALRIGHT, BRATS - LISTEN UP! IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN - THE S-CLASS TRIALS ARE UPON US!" Makarov yelled to a thunderous applause.

"Master Makarov certain has a flair for drama," Strider chuckled.

"These eight candidates are some of the best and brightest that our guild has to offer! Now, the rules are as follows. Eight participants will be chosen to attend the S-Class Trials at our sacred ground, Tenrou Island. These trials will test not just your strength, but your intelligence and grasp of magic as a whole! Each participant will be allowed to bring one and ONLY one partner to help through the trials - that includes Happy, Carla, and Lily! However, you CANNOT choose an S-Class Wizard as your partner! Remember to be on the ship at the port by 8 am sharp tomorrow morning! Now, the chosen are as follows: NATSU DRAGNEEL!" Makarov yelled.

"YEAH BABY!" Natsu cried out excitedly, spewing fire everywhere.

"GRAY FULLBUSTER!" Makarov roared.

Gray grinned and clenched a fist. He locked eyes with Natsu who returned his grin.

"CANA ALBERONA!" Makarov yelled.

"Congratulations," Strider said, quickly swooping in and kissing her on the cheek. Cana smiled appreciably at him while Mira frowned slightly, feeling a sudden rise in her stomach.

"ELFMAN STRAUSS!" Makarov yelled.

"Yay! Go Elf!" Lisanna cried happily.

"Good for him," Strider grinned, giving him a thumbs up.

"FREED JUSTINE!" Makarov yelled.

"That's not surprising, I guess. Freed is quite capable," Erza said, approaching the bar as well.

"JUVIA LOCKSER!" Makarov yelled.

"M-me?!" Juvia asked, surprised. She saw Strider smile at her from across the bar and gave him a slight wave, blushing and feeling a bit of guilt. She remembered what she had told him several weeks ago. In that time, she hadn't spoken to him much.

"LEVY MCGARDEN!" Makarov yelled.

"Woo! Go, Levy!" Droy and Jet yelled happily, making their friend blush.

"And finally, STRIDER!" Makarov yelled, pointing at the new Fairy. Strider looked on in surprise.

"Huh. Didn't expect that," Strider said quietly. The ones not chosen let out a deflated sigh as they slumped away.

"So who's partnering with who?" Lucy wondered.

"Well, I'm gonna go ahead with my little buddy of course," Natsu said, fist bumping Happy.

"Aye! Let's go, Natsu! We got some training to do!" Happy said. Natsu nodded eagerly and the two quickly left. As they left, there was suddenly a bright flash of light. A handsome man with short, spiky orange hair wearing a green shirt and black slacks appeared. He smiled at the group, taking a double looked at Strider before looking at Gray who returned them grin.

"I'm gonna be teaming up with Loke. We decided on that before I found out he was a spirit," Gray said, putting an arm around the spirit in a brotherly fashion.

"Hope you don't mind, Lucy. I'm gonna be unavailable until the Trials are done. Don't worry, I'm here on my own Magic," Loke said to his master.

"Whatever. Would've been nice if you told me first, though," she grumbled.

"It appears as though Levy just found a partner," Strider said, chuckling as Gajeel lifted her up and whisked her away. As they want, he saw the bluenette was blushing a bright red.

"And Freed is with Bixlow. That's not surprising," Mira nodded to the two.

"You _will_ have me as your partner," Evergreen ordered Elfman in a matter-of-fact way. The white haired giant grumbled but nodded his acquiescence.

"Looks like we know who wears the pants in that relationship as well," Strider laughed.

"What about you, Juvia?" Mira wondered, looking at the bluenette. She looked at the ground, poking two fingers together as she blushed.

"I don't know anyone else here that well," she said in a small voice.

"I'll team up with you Juvia!" Lisanna chirped.

"Really?" Juvia asked, eyes wide. She hadn't spoken to the white haired girl much - at all, in fact.

"Sure! It'll be fun! Come on, let's go train!" Lisanna said, taking Juvia by the hand and pulling her away. Juvia sputtered but followed anyways.

"What about you, Cana?" Mira wondered.

"Still deciding," Cana said with a wry smile.

"Strider?" Erza wondered.

"Hmm… Hey, Wendy," he suddenly called out. The tiny bluenette quickly came over with a curious expression on her face.

"What's up, Strider?" she wondered.

"Just wanted to ask if you'd like to be my partner for the Trials," he said kindly. Wendy blushed while the other girls looked at each other in surprise.

"Really? Me?" she asked.

"Yup. What do you say?" he asked.

"I dunno. I'm not as strong as the others…," she said timidly.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're plenty powerful. Besides, no one else can do support like you can," Strider said, ruffling her hair gently. Wendy looked up at him for a long pause before smiling wide.

"Sure! I'd be happy too!" she said.

"Excellent. Shall we get a bit of training in before leaving?" he asked.

"Sure!" Wendy said.

"Ladies," Strider winked at them before heading out with Wendy and Carla.

"That was pretty cute," Lucy cooed.

"No kidding," Cana giggled before sighing. "I'm gonna head out for a bit as well. See you."

"I wonder who she's gonna choose?" Erza said thoughtfully.

"Looks like we're the only ones from the team that are gonna be stuck back here," Lucy said.

"Actually, I'm going as well. Mira, Gildarts, and I will all be there to test the others," Erza said.

"Oh, that- WAIT, SO I'M BEING LEFT BEHIND!?" Lucy exclaimed.

"It appears so," Erza said nonchalantly. A grumbling Lucy soon slipped out as well.

-o-

Strider and Wendy were both in a clearing. She was launching attack after attack at Strider, who did a solid job in deflected them with his magic. The air itself tightened before bursting, leaving almost no impact on him. Wendy was soon on her feet, breathing heavily as she stared him down.

"You're pretty strong," she said.

"You're no slouch yourself," Strider said.

"I… haven't been able to land one hit," she breathed.

"I think that's because you're still so young. For your age, though, you're exceedingly powerful. I wouldn't be surprised if you outclassed Natsu and Gray as they are now by the time you get to be their age," Strider said kindly.

"Hey, Strider, I'm curious - why'd you choose me?" she wondered, taking a break and sitting under a tree.

"Hmm… honest answer, Wendy, I've no particular reason. I think you're a great Wizard, though, so it makes sense that I would," Strider smiled.

"What about Lucy?" she asked.

"I'm not sure if she'd be as happy to join the Trials. She's strong but more averse to fighting, I think," Strider said.

"I guess that's true," Wendy nodded.

"If you don't want to join me, though, I'd understand," Strider said.

"It's not that! It's… like I said, I'm not as strong as the others. I don't want to hold you back," Wendy said uncomfortably. She felt Strider put a hand on her head and ruffle her hair.

"I promise you won't hold me back. We'll get it done," Strider said kindly.

"Do take good care of her. I shall talk to Master Makarov of accompanying him in another capacity, but I won't be able to look over her during the trials," Carla said stridently.

"Carla!" Wendy complained adorably, blushing at her overbearing partner.

"Don't worry, Carla. I'll keep her safe," Strider said. "I'm curious, how long have you two been a part of Fairy Tail?" Strider wondered.

"Hmm… actually, we joined up just a few weeks before you did," Wendy said thoughtfully.

"Wha - really?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Mhm. Natsu, Happy, Lucy, Gray, and Erza were part of a team - with Jura, Lyon, and Sherry from Lamia Scale and Ren, Eve, Hibiki, and Ichiya from Blue Pegasus. I came from another guild, Cait Shelter. We teamed up to stop the Oracion Seis," Wendy informed him.

"I think I heard them mentioned when we teamed up with the other guilds last time," Strider said.

"They were pretty tough," Wendy nodded, remembering what happened. "And then you came just a few weeks after that."

"I can't decide whether your team was perfect or if it would've been better if you came a bit earlier. You're pretty tough, so you would've been a great help against the Seis," Carla sighed.

"A few weeks, you say? Hmmm…," Strider said thoughtfully.

"What is it?" Wendy wondered.

"I can't remember if I was in Fiore or if I was in a neighboring country at that time. I'm certain that when I came to Ishgar, I landed in Fiore; but I spent a lot of time just wandering around. Country lines just melded for me," Strider said.

"I'm surprised you came all the way to Magnolia," Carla said.

"I decided to do that after I figured that joining a guild might be a good way to get into the swing of things. I didn't expect to enjoy the experience as much as I have," Strider said warmly.

"We're happy to have you," Wendy said with a bright smile.

"Indeed we are," Carla nodded. As they continued to sit, they noticed something. Strider held his hand out, surprised as a small white flake landed on it.

"Snow…," he whispered, looking up.

"Pretty," Wendy said, looking up as well.

"It certainly is," Carla smiled as the snow began to fall a bit harder, although still considerably soft.

"This is nice," Strider said, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, letting it fall on him unabashedly.

-o-

"Hey, Lucy," Cana said as she ran into the blonde on her walk.

"Oh hey, Cana! What's up?" Lucy asked, smiling brightly at her friend.

"Just going for a walk. You?" Cana wondered, taking a swig of her bottle.

"Heading home. Do you want to come inside for a bit? It's cold out here," Lucy said, shivering gently.

"Sure. Thanks," Cana said. As she began to prepare something for the two to drink, Cana decided to explore the apartment a little bit. It wasn't long until she found the tub. She turned on the hot water and let it run for a bit, sitting on the edge as she let her cold feet soak in it.

"You alright, Cana?" Lucy asked, a worried look on her face as she entered. Giving her the cup, Lucy sat on the edge of the tub and let her feet soak in it as well. She let out an exalted sigh as her entire being felt warmed by the warm water.

"Huh? Oh… yeah. Just thinking, really," Cana sighed. She looked at Lucy with a surprisingly intense gaze. "So, how have things been going between you and your dad these days?"

"Huh? Oh… Umm… I-I dunno. It's… been a while since I last spoke with him," Lucy said.

"Mmm…," Cana said, sipping her tea quietly.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Lucy asked, resting a comforting hand on her back. Cana bit her lip before replying.

"This is gonna be my fifth trial. That means… I've tried four times already but failed each time. Erza, Mira, Laxus, Mystogan," Cana said, looking at the water rippling out.

"But… that doesn't mean you won't make it this year. Besides, you heard Strider, right? He thinks you'll win," Lucy said confidently. Cana scoffed at that.

"Maybe I might've had a chance, but with him in the running, I'm doubtful. Ugh… I'm the only one that's tried four times," Cana said uncomfortably. "That's… I… dunno how long I can stand that."

"But there's plenty of people in the guild that aren't S-Class," Lucy said. That was obviously the wrong thing to say.

"WELL, I DON'T WANT TO BE ANY OF THOSE LOSERS, OKAY?!" she yelled. Lucy's eyes widened in surprise. Cana was one of the most unflappable people she knew. Easily one of the most relaxed members of the guild, as well as well respected by the others. She had no idea that she had feelings like these bubbling inside her for so long. "I have to be an S-Class Wizard… or else I'll never be able to look him in the eye. I'll… never be able to approach him."

"What… who?" Lucy asked in surprise. Cana looked at her again before biting her lip hard, wondering if she should answer.

"Gildarts. He's…," Cana began.

"He… what?" Lucy asked.

"My father," she stated simply.

"Seriously?!" Lucy asked, shocked.

"Yeah. He doesn't know that, though. Not yet. I was going to tell him… once, when I first joined the guild. But everyone just talked about how great and amazing he was. I choked. I couldn't confront him like that. So… I decided that I'd tell him when I became an S-Class Wizard. If I can't do that… If I… I… would feel like a failure as a daughter," Cana said, tears beginning to fall as she exited the tub. She went into the living room and sat on the ground, hugging her legs to her chest. Lucy went over, biting her lip as she wondered what to do. Finally, she sat down next to her and put an arm around Cana.

"If I can't make it, I… think I'm out…," Cana said listlessly. Lucy felt her mind in a flux before she hugged Cana tight.

"Cana, please let me be your partner! Fairy Tail just wouldn't be the same without you!" she cried out. Cana was taken aback by the response and looked at her with surprise. As Lucy reared back, she looked at Cana with an intense gaze - one that demanded that Cana say yes. After a long pause, Cana finally nodded. Lucy broke into a smile and hugged her again; this time, Cana did the same.

"Don't worry - we got this!" Lucy declared passionately.

-o-

"So new guy, you ready for the Trials?" Bixlow asked, grinning at Strider.

"Of course. I hope you guys are just as ready if you come across Wendy and I," Strider replied.

"I do look forward to testing your mettle, should it come to that," Freed said.

"As do I," Strider replied.

"Well, _all_ of you best be prepared for Elfman and I. We intend to win. And then next year, _I_ will become an S-Class Wizard," Evergreen stated.

"Elfman and Evergreen sitting in a tree," Bixlow began singing, turning the white haired giant and the Fairy-mage a bright red. As Evergreen began pounding on Bixlow for teasing her, Strider joined Cana and Lucy at the bar - both quieter than usual.

"Are you two alright?" he wondered.

"Huh? Oh yeah - I'm fine," Cana said, smiling at him. Strider tilted his head as he saw Cana's red eyes. He motioned her to follow him, which she did. As they got to his room, Strider looked at her, a worried expression in his eyes.

"Is everything ok? Are you positive?" Strider asked in a quiet voice.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about it," Cana said, managing a small smile.

"You worry about me. I can't help but do the same," he said. Cana looked at him with an intense gaze, her mind fluctuating on what she should say or do. Finally, she put her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Strider slowly did the same for her, saying nothing as he gently rubbed her back. Cana sighed in exaltation at the touch, her own hands slowly descending down from his neck, resting on his lower back. As they separated, the two looked at each other. Slowly, their heads began to move closer and closer. Their lips were almost touching until a knock at the door interrupted them. Even as they noted how close they were, the two held the position. Strider felt Cana's warm and gentle breath on his lips, no more than a few inches separating them. Cana felt much the same, her mind buzzing with what would've happened had someone not knocked.

"Aren't you going to back away?" she whispered.

"I… don't know," Strider answered honestly. Finally, however, the two separated. Strider sheepishly grinned at her while Cana blushed and did the same. "Come in."

"Cana! We need to get some rest! We have to be up early!" Lucy cried out before blushing, wondering if she had just disturbed a moment. As that thought went through her mind, she felt a sudden surge in her stomach - one a bit more green than red. Cana sighed and nodded, following her out. Strider sighed, getting settled on his bed. Soon after, however, there was another knock.

"It's open," he called out. Mira came in, smiling. "Ah. Hey, Mira. What's up?"

"Nothing much. Just wanted to see if you needed anything. Tomorrow's a big day for you," she said, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"Big day for many of us, it appears. I look forward to it, though," Strider said.

"Think you'll make it?" Mira wondered.

"I dunno. Natsu, Gray, Elfman, and Cana are pretty powerful; Freed and Levy are much smarter. I'll do my best, though. For myself as well as for Wendy," Strider said.

"It was sweet of you to choose her as your partner," Mira said with a knowing smile.

"I don't think I could've asked for anyone better," Strider said. "You're going to be coming along as well, correct?"

"Yup. Along with Erza and Gildarts," Mira nodded.

"Good," Strider sighed.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"I enjoy spending time with you. After traveling for so long on my own, and then being surrounded by such… vociferous friends. Would feel like a whole different thing to be on my own again, even for a few days," Strider said. Mira smiled and moved closer to him, giving him a tight hug that he returned. To her surprise, he suddenly laid down and brought her on top of him.

"W-what're you doing?" she asked, blushing.

"Just getting comfortable. Sorry - am I being to forward?" he wondered.

"No… it's fine. This… mm… feels nice," she said quietly, tucking her head under his chin. She felt him bring a hand up to her head, gently weaving it through. She shivered pleasurably at the touch, one she couldn't remember experiencing since she was a little girl. She cuddled a bit closer, listening to his gentle heartbeat with a smile.

 _'She's just like her. Almost… indistinguishable. Wait. No. Don't think like that. Mira… Mira's her own person. She's her own person,'_ Strider thought, sighing.

"Hey Str-," Wendy suddenly came in. As soon as she did, though, she quickly turned a bright shade of red that Strider swore he had never seen before.

"OHSORRYIDIDN'TMEANTOINTERRUPT!" she cried adorably before heading downstairs.

"Ah. Probably should've locked the door," Strider chuckled, still not moving an inch.

"Oh man…," Mira groaned. She had a feeling that the ship to Tenrou was going to be a long one. After a few more minutes, she lifted herself off him, keeping a hand on her chest. As she did that, Mira frowned, gently moving her hand up and down it, feeling the ridges underneath. She looked Strider in the eyes, wondering if he would stop her. However, he just offered her a sad smile.

"They never go away," he said quietly. She brought her hand to his face, gently caressing it. Strider took her hand in his, bringing it to his lips and kissing it softly. Mira blushed at the measured moment but let him continue.

"MIRA! COME ON, WE HAVE TO GET SOME SLEEP!" Elfman yelled from below, likely wondering what was taking her so long. Mira sighed and grumbled, shooting the door a glance.

"I have to go," she said, not wanting to leave.

"I understand," Strider said. Staring at each other for a good while longer, Mira finally took her leave, her heart fluttering madly. With a sigh, Strider turned the lights off and laid down, hoping for a good nights rest.

-o-

As Mira got downstairs, Lisanna was looking at her with a knowing smile.

"So, Mira…," Lisanna began, hugging her older sister.

"Hmm?" Mira hummed.

"You and Strider are getting really close," Lisanna said.

"Ah. Ha. Sorry, Lis," Mira smiled.

"You're blushing! I knew it!" Lisanna exclaimed.

"What?" Mira asked.

"You and him!" Lisanna said as they stepped out, Mira locking the guild behind them.

"Ugh… it's not like that," Mira sighed.

"Do you wish it was?" Lisanna wondered.

"I… don't know," Mira said.

"Come on, Mira," Lisanna said.

"I'm serious!" Mira said exasperatedly.

"Ugh, can we stop talking about this," Elfman grumbled.

"I thought you liked Strider?!" Lisanna inquired of him.

"He's manly, sure. But that doesn't mean… well, you know!" Elfman grumbled, eliciting a giggle from the two.

-o-

"You seem tired, Wendy," Strider said.

"Y-yeah. I was really nervous so I didn't get much sleep," the bluenette grumbled.

"Ha. Get some on the ship," Strider said, ruffling her hair.

"Don't worry! I'll still be-be able to help!" she said, yawning halfway through.

"I know. I've faith in you," Strider said kindly.

"You two ready to go down?" Natsu asked as Happy rested on his head. Gray and Loke, Freed and Bixlow, Elfman and Evergreen, and Levy and Gajeel had just arrived. As Strider turned to look at them, a few gulped as they saw the glint in his eye.

"Oh, I look forward to it," Strider said in a low and dangerous tone.

"Happy," Natsu said, shivering slightly.

"A-aye," Happy squeaked.

"Ha. Relax. I look forward to seeing you guys out there," Strider said, his demeanor shifting to something a bit more happy go lucky. The team of Cana and Lucy and Lisanna and Juvia soon arrived as well.

"Still waiting on Mira, Erza, Gildarts, and Master Makarov, then," Strider said.

"Gildarts already went ahead, actually. Just us now," came Erza's voice soon. As they began to board the ship, Juvia walked next to Strider.

"S-Strider…," she said nervously.

"Hey, Juvia. How're you feeling?" he wondered.

"I-I'm well. I… before the Trials begin, I wanted to apologize," she said.

"Hmm? For what?" he wondered.

"I… snapped at you a few weeks ago. About… Tiasa. I'm sorry about that. It… I know it wasn't your fault. I just…," Juvia trailed off. Strider smiled and put a comforting around her, giving her a tight hug. She blushed but leaned into it, taking solace and comfort in his warm touch.

"It's fine. I understand. It's… not something that's going to go away easily. But look, if you need to talk about it - at all - I'm here for you, alright?" Strider said. She looked at him and smiled, nodding and returning the embrace.

"If you're open… I'd like to discuss it a bit more - after we get back," Juvia said hopefully.

"Of course," Strider nodded.

-o-

As everyone got going, they quickly deflated thanks to the weather. Whereas the rain had been pouring not too long ago with a fierceness, they had to acclimate to the cold; right now, though, it was blistering hot. Everyone quickly began to take as many layers as they could off. Strider notably kept his clothes on, as did Natsu - although for the latter, it was more because he was puking over the starboard side.

"Are you… not hot?" Cana asked, fanning herself.

"I'm used to it," Strider said.

"I don't get it. How is that even possible?" she grumbled.

"While I prefer the rain, I'm fairly well-acclimated climate wise. Too hot, too cold; doesn't really bother me that much. Also, just like I was able to keep the rain off you guys, I can pretty much fortify myself against any kind of weather. That said, the view is great," Strider chuckled, winking at her. Cana smirked back at him, slightly sashaying away. As she met up with Mira, however, she saw the frown the white haired beauty had.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I think I know why he won't take his clothes off," Mira said, fanning herself as well.

"Why?" Lucy asked, overhearing them.

"You know that he's pretty scarred. He probably doesn't want anyone to know how bad it is," Mira said uncomfortably. Cana and Lucy felt a hurt rise in their stomachs as they looked over to Strider, who was gazing out at the ocean.

"Best not to bring it up again," Cana said, shifting slightly. They soon joined Lisanna and Juvia, along with Elfman, Evergreen, and Erza.

"Hey, Strider!" Lisanna called out. Wendy and Strider went to join the group as well.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"I wanted to ask you something," she said sweetly.

"What is it?" he wondered.

"You… and Mira!" Lisanna squealed, taking delight at the bright red shade her sister turned. Lucy, Cana, Erza, and Juvia's head snapped between the two, carefully listening to what might be said during the conversation.

"Ah. I'm afraid that as a man, my lips are sealed lest I incur Mira's wrath," Strider said coyly.

"Ugh, don't start with that! Come on, you're amongst friends!" Lisanna pressed him.

"It's not manly to sleep with another man's sister," Elfman said dangerously.

"But Mira and Strider already slept together," Wendy piped in, her voice naively-innocent. Every had suddenly snapped to her, making her retreat behind Strider, arms around his waist in terror.

The ship went so eerily quiet, the only thing they could hear were the waves lapping across the hull. Most eyes were wide as they looked between Mira and Strider, necks veritably creaking as they slowly turned between the two. Erza, Lucy, Cana, and Juvia had looks of shock and jealousy; while Gray and Loke's mouths had hit the floor; Bixlow and Freed were just as surprised while Natsu leaned over the ship, notably oblivious to the situation as his stomach upturned; Gajeel raised an eyebrow while Levy went a bright red. Even Makarov was getting in on it, his jaw on the floor in a mix of envy and cheerfulness that his adopted children got along so well. Wendy peeked around and saw that Mira had her eyes locked in on the distance. Strider, however, was as relaxed as one could be. Elfman, a stark chalk white, turned to the young Dragon Slayer and leaned in close.

"What. Did. You. Say?" he asked slowly.

"I-I said that Mira and Strider already slept together. Don't you remember, Mira? That job in the Blue Mountains and then the hotel and then last night," Wendy said.

"THREE TIMES?! WAIT! LAST… LAST NIGHT?!" Elfman roared, aghast. Wendy held on to Strider a bit tighter, slightly scared by the outburst.

"MIRAJANE STRAUSS!" Erza roared in shock.

"LAST NIGHT?!" Cana yelled. She remembered the moment she had with Strider the night before - was that before or after?

"THAT JOB WAS LIKE A FEW WEEKS IN! YOU SLEPT WITH HIM AFTER A FEW WEEKS?! OH GOD, THE IMAGE!" Elfman yelled.

"Must… Kill… Mira… Jane…," Juvia said slowly.

"No way…," Lucy said weakly.

"Tch! Get your minds out of the gutter! It wasn't like that. It was freezing in the tent and I didn't pack correctly. Strider kept me warm. The hotel had two beds," she said tersely, looking at him and blushing even deeper.

 _'Well… he is pretty warm. Guess I get that. Still…,'_ Cana trailed off in her thoughts.

 _'I suppose I can't fault her for wanting to stay warm. Still… mmm…,'_ Erza thought, frowning slightly as she looked at him. As she did, she felt her heart rate increase.

"What about last night, then?!" Elfman asked.

"That's none of your business," she said crossly.

"Then… you two…?" Lucy asked.

"No! Tch - fine! I went to wish him luck and we hugged on the bed. That's _it_ ," Mira said.

"Aww…," Lisanna groaned, halfway between dejected and cooing at how adorable it sounded.

"Oh, I can't _wait_ to see who I'm going to be facing off against during the Trial," Mira said, eyes narrowing as they washed over the others. They gulped as she met their gaze, knowing that they had raised her ire.

"Don't you have anything to say about this?" Evergreen asked Strider.

"Anything I say can and will be used against me, I think. Best that I stay quiet," Strider chuckled.

-o-

"So… three times, huh?" Cana asked Mira. Each group was on their own, strategizing to the degree that they could.

"It… wasn't like that," Mira said.

"Do you wish it was?" Cana asked, looking her dead in the eye. Mira paused before opening her mouth, closing it quickly as she thought about her answer.

"Th-," she began before Cana shook her head.

"Level with me, Mirajane," she said, using her full name. Mira paused before speaking again.

"Honestly?" she asked.

"Yeah," Cana said.

"Maybe. Maybe it's just the conversation you and I had when he got here." Mira said quietly. Cana looked at her intensely before nodding again. "What about you, though? You've spent a lot of time with him as well. Didn't he go to your room the second or third day he was here?"

"I… yeah. And then we… umm… slept together a few weeks ago. Not like that, though. Just… the guild was locked so he stayed over at my place," Cana said, remembering how she woke up with him.

"Oh? You didn't try anything?" Mira asked.

"I didn't," Cana answered honestly.

"Did you want too?" she wondered.

"I dunno," Cana said uncertainly.

"Wait… when I walked in on you two yesterday…?" Lucy began unsurely.

"We… we… I think we… were about to kiss," Cana blushed.

"I see," Erza said, joining the conversation.

"Mmm…," Mira hummed, wondering how to reply; the others under the same conundrum. They all looked in Striders direction. He and Wendy were off to the side, talking and smiling at each other. The look of joy on their faces brought a smile to the girls as well.

"That's pretty adorable," Mira cooed.

"It is. He looks like he could be her older brother," Lucy giggled.

"Wendy does need better role models than Gray or Natsu," Erza said fondly.

"Considering how much he flirts, he might not be the best role model," Mira giggled.

"I'd rather that than Wendy learn it's alright to cause tens of millions of jewel in damage from those two," Erza sighed, nodding towards Gray and Natsu, both of whom were grinning devilishly at each other.

"They're sweet," Mira offered.

"I won't deny that. That said, they're also idiots most of the time. You would think that for guys with such good battle sense, it'd apply to daily life as well," Erza said.

"Would want them to be any different?" Mira wondered. Erza thought about that before cracking a small smile.

"No, I suppose not," she admitted; Natsu and Gray's personalities, while often times annoying, were what made them Natsu and Gray. And for her, that was important - that they kept their sense of justice and honor, despite the damage they caused.

"We need to stay on her good side in case Mira tries anything with Strider again," Cana joked, making the white haired beauty groan again.

"Erza?" Mira said uncertainly.

"I enjoy being around him," Erza admitted.

"Mmm… so four of us," Mira said.

"Five. Bisca," Cana said.

"Right. I hope she's doing alright," Mira sighed.

"Master will probably choose her next year. She works her ass off. If he wasn't here, it would've been her," Cana said confidently.

"Six, maybe. Juvia, although I'm not completely sure. It might be more like Gray," Lucy sighed. The numbers kept adding up.

"Who does he…?" Mira trailed off.

"I'm not sure," the others said, almost in unison. They continued to silently ponder their predicament as they got closer and closer to the island.

-o-

"I suppose that's the island," Strider said in interest. Tenrou Island wasn't too large, he thought, but there was one very discernible feature: a massive tree, surrounded by jutting rocks that mushroomed at the top, shading the entire island.

"Pretty," Wendy said.

"Uhh… you think so, Wendy? Looks weird," Lucy wondered.

"There's a legend about this place. That it was once populated by Fairies," Makarov said.

"Is that true?" Lucy wondered.

"No one knows. It's very important to our guild, however. Tenrou Island is also the resting place of our first master, Mavis Vermillion," Makarov said.

"If it's so important, shouldn't you be dressed up a bit more?" Gray asked, sweatdropping.

"Said the nudist to the stylish old man," Makarov said impishly, eliciting a chuckle from Strider. "Anyway, pipe down everyone. It's to reveal the rounds you can expect. First, look over there. You see the smoke coming from the shore? After you get there, choose one of the eight routes leading into the island. Each is meant for one team only - after you pick it, it'll be closed to the others. Each will lead to a particular obstacle - three will be fights against current S-Class Wizards Erza, Mira, or Gildarts. You two, head over now," Makarov said. With a nod, Mira shifted into her She-Devil form and picked Erza up, taking her to the shore.

"Two routes will have you face off against each other. One team will move on, the other will come to the designated safe area. And finally, the serenity route - choose this and you can avoid the combat entirely," Makarov said.

"Sounds easy enough," Gray nodded.

"Ugh… so 7/8 chance that we're going to be fighting someone. And one of them could be Mira, Erza, or Gildarts," Elfman gulped.

"What do you think?" Cana asked Strider.

"Preference would be the serenity route," Strider said.

"Don't want to pick a fight?" Cana wondered.

"Not if I can avoid it. That said, should we end up against each other, best of luck," he said, smiling at her. Cana nodded and returned the smile.

"Hope you're all ready! YOUR TRIAL BEGINS NOW!" Makarov yelled.

"Wait - WHAT?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Your first trial is to _get_ to the shore! Good luck!" Makarov giggled like a schoolboy.

"LET'S GO HAPPY!" Natsu yelled.

"AYE SIR!" Happy replied, quickly latching Natsu and heading out to the shore. They didn't get far until they hit a barrier of Freeds doing. Looking out, Strider saw Freed and Bixlow heading to the shore at a quick speed.

"WHAT! THAT'S NO FAIR!" Gray yelled as Lisanna tried to push through the enchantments.

"Gramps, can he do that?!" Gray asked.

"It's not a race. Getting there first won't help much," Makarov replied.

"He could cover the whole place with enchantments, though!" Gray grumbled.

"This'll be a piece of cake," Levy suddenly said, grinning devilishly. She pulled out a pen and begin to write an enchantment through which she and Gajeel slipped through. "Sorry! I only wrote it for Gajeel and I!"

"Not cool!" everyone replied in unison.

"Let me try something," Strider said as he levitated in the air a bit. Drawing his sword, he soon jutted right at the barrier. A test of wills was had and Strider handily won. An audible shatter was heard, much like glass breaking. He quickly scooped Wendy up and with a nod at the others, flew off towards the island, rocking the boat a bit.

"CRAP! HEY, YOU NEARLY CAPSIZED US!" Gray yelled.

"Thank you, Strider!" Cana said, jumping into the water with Lucy and swimming towards the shore.

-o-

"Oh," Happy groaned as he saw the figure that waited for him and Natsu on the other side. Gildarts stood, a smile on his face as he welcomed the boy he almost considered a son.

"Hey there, Natsu," he said.

"Gildarts," Natsu replied, grinning.

"Good to see you. Was hoping for you or Strider. Looks like I get my wish," the Ace said.

"I wanted to face off against Erza, but that'll do just fine! Oh, yeah! I'm all fired up!" he said, punching his hand with a fist. Off to the side, however, Happy had comically given up.

"Welp, that's it I guess. Time to head back, Natsu," the Exceed deadpanned.

"HAVE A LITTLE FAITH!" Natsu exclaimed, eliciting a chuckle from Gildarts.

-o-

"WHAT THE - THERE'S NOTHING HERE!" Gajeel exclaimed, tearing at his hair.

"Thank goodness. I think we got the serenity route," Levy said happily.

"Thank goodness?! I wanted to kick Salamander's ass!" Gajeel said.

"I'm perfectly fine with not fighting anyone, thank you very much," Levy said as she pulled out a magic notebook and began writing. Gajeel took a reprieve from his complaints and looked at what she was writing.

"What's that?" he wondered.

"Oh, it's a kind of interview I'm preparing. I haven't talked to Strider much since he joined, but I'm sure he has a lot of stories to share! If I can learn a bit about his home… oh wow, that'd be amazing," Levy said eagerly.

"Ah. You… and… uh… him?" Gajeel wondered nonchalantly.

"Wh - NO! It is _so_ not like that!" Levy said, blushing.

"Really?" the Iron Dragon Slayer wondered.

"Yeah. Positive. He seems like a nice guy and all, but… I think he already has his eyes on Mira and some of the others," Levy giggled. Gajeel let out a low sigh of relief before turning his attention to finding a fight again.

-o-

"Oh… crap," Elfman groaned.

"That's… about the size of it," Evergreen gulped.

Standing opposite them was Mira in her She Devil form, a wicked smile on her lips.

"I wasn't going to hold back just because you're my little brother. But after all the teasing… well, you can imagine," she growled.

"So not manly," he said weakly.

-o-

"My former love and… I don't think I know you," Juvia said, looking at Loke who sweatdropped.

"Loke, Gray," Lisanna said, smiling as she put her fists up.

"Juvia and Lisanna… hmm," Gray hummed, eyes narrowed. He knew for a fact that Juvia was no pushover - easily on par with him right now, he figured. Lisanna, while not as powerful as the other three, was still fairly crafty. It wouldn't be the easiest fight, but Gray was confident in his win.

"Hello, ladies," Loke said suavely.

"Sorry, Loke - Juvia's into Strider," Lisanna said cheerfully, eliciting a grumble from the Lion Spirit and a squeal and blush from Juvia.

"Anyways, let's get down to brass tacks, yeah?" Gray said, preparing to launch.

-o-

"Hello Cana, Lucy," Freed said solemnly as he and Bixlow came across the two beauties.

"Freed and Bixlow, huh?" Lucy said nervously.

"Looks like Lady Luck is on our side," Cana smiled.

-o-

"Hmm… I wonder what we can expect down here?" Strider wondered as he and Wendy walked down a dark tunnel.

"I dunno. I hope it's the serenity route, though," Wendy said.

"Whatever it is, I'm certain we'll - ah. It appears it's _not_ the serenity route. Hello, Erza," Strider said, sword in hand as he came across his friend and teammate. Erza smiled and nodded at him.

"Our second fight," she said.

"I know. I was hoping for something a bit more peaceful. Wendy, why don't you sit this one out? This room is pretty small," Strider said.

"Umm… are you sure? I… think I should do something," Wendy said.

"If I get hit, I'm going to need you to be ready to spring, alright?" Strider said. Wendy donned a serious expression and nodded, getting into a ready stance to go at a moments notice. Erza and Strider soon began circling each other, both ready to tussle.

-o-

"Sorry, Lisanna! Can't go easy on you!" Gray said, hitting the petite girl with a massive burst of ice, rocketing her into a wall and knocking her out. Juvia quickly replied with her own attack against Gray, forcing him to duck.

"Crap," he grumbled, getting back to his feet and facing her down again.

"I thought she was into you?!" Loke asked, going for a Regulus Impact. His fist was ensconced in a bright white light, but Juvia was able to turn her body into water at the precise moment, dodging the brunt of it and replying with a jet of water that sent the spirit back into a stalactite.

"Yeah, but she's into Strider now," Gray said.

"I get the feeling I don't like this guy for some reason," Loke grumbled.

"He's cool. Girls seem to like him," Gray shrugged.

"Yeah, probably won't like him. So, you like the new guy, eh?" Loke asked the Water Wizard.

"That is my business," she replied, blushing.

"WHAT?! YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME ALONE, THOUGH!" Gray whined.

"I… Strider is… I'VE NOTHING MORE TO SAY!" she yelped adorably, attacking the two again. Gray and Loke had to dodge immediately as a massive burst of water headed their way.

-o-

"Ahem. Before we begin, would you ladies mind covering up?" a blushing Freed asked. Cana and Lucy both sweat dropped and looked down, noting they were still in their bikinis; the boat ride had been a hot one.

"Come on man, it's better this way! What's the problem?" Bixlow inquired, while his flying tiki dolls exclaimed _"bouncy, bouncy."_

"It's a distraction. Now please, cover up," Freed said, looking away.

"Oh? A little shy are we?" a smirking Cana inquired as she launched a card at Freed. Upon contact, a couple of scantily clad women erupted and latched on to the green haired Wizard. "Well, that should make this super easy!"

"Wh-what kind of vulgar sorcery is this?! Bikini babes?!" he exclaimed.

"… Do you have _any_ idea how many guys would kill to be in your position right now?" Bixlow grumbled. "Oh man, I can think of one right now."

Picking up on the idea, Lucy soon summoned Virgo. As she quickly found out, it wasn't as useful. Bixlow wasn't one to be frazzled so easily and soon launched his tiki dolls at the maid. Buffeted constantly, she was soon sent back to the spirit realm.

"Uh… probably not the best idea," Cana deadpanned.

"It just seemed like the right move!" Lucy whined back.

-o-

As Natsu went high and low, he found his attacks easily blocked by Orange-Haired Gildarts. The Ace hadn't moved from his spot a single inch, using just his arms to deflect the attacks. All the way through, however, he was smiling, noting how Natsu had improved since their last encounter.

-o-

"Are you holding back?" Erza wondered as she and Strider began to circle each other again. She noted that something was off with how he wielded his blade, which rested much more loosely in his hands than usual. She saw him turn it in his hand again for the umpteenth time, as though uncomfortable with holding it in one place for too long.

"I assure you I'm giving it my all," Strider said, rolling his head and gulping. He looked to Erza, Wendy, and finally his sword, rolling it again.

"Your technique is off," Erza scolded him.

"As I said, I'm giving it my all," Strider replied flatly, raising his hand and sending sharp rocks at her. Erza easily deflected them away before launching her attack on Strider. He brought the sword up and blocked her, standing his ground but grunting slightly as he felt the impact reverberate through his left shoulder. The pain increased but he managed to push her back.

 _'Can't let it drag on much further,'_ he thought.

-o-

"ARE YOU LOOKING TO GET BATTERED AND DEEP FRIED?!" Cana yelled at Lucy's Mermaid Spirit, Aquarius. The beautiful spirit had nearly taken both ladies out with her attack and her lack of remorse irked Cana to no end.

"I'm staying out of this," Lucy deadpanned, retreating slightly.

"Can you not tell the difference between friends and enemies?!" Cana demanded.

"Every woman alive is my enemy! You think you're hot stuff just because you let your jugs out to jiggle?" Aquarius declared, getting in her face. "Wow. I didn't know girls were so desperate these days. Poor thing. You'll never land a man that way."

"I bet you settled on the first ugly merman that showed you his trident. It must be tough when you're 20,000 leagues of pure skank," Cana replied with a devious smirk.

"Rummy wench," Aquarius shot back.

"Fishy sea beast," Cana replied.

As Lucy saw the bad blood between her friend and spirit, she let out a deep exhale.

-o-

As Strider wrenched his hand to the side, Erza felt her body collide with the wall. Water trickled from the point of impact and as she opened her eyes, she saw that Strider was looming over her, his sword resting on her shoulder and a frown on his lips. She felt a surge of guilt rising in her stomach as she wondered how many other people were in the same position as she was that didn't make it. With a sigh, she dropped her sword.

"I yield," she said, knowing it was a fool's errand to continue. Strider sighed and quickly sheathed his sword, helping Erza back up.

"Feeling alright?" he wondered.

"Well enough. Thank you, Wendy," she said, smiling graciously at the Dragon Slayer who diligently began to heal her back up. "Are you alright, though? You appear troubled."

"I'm fine," Strider said, although she didn't buy it. She saw that Strider was a bit pale during the fight, the blood only returning to his face now. Her eyes trailed to his sword before they met his gaze again. With a sigh, she nodded; there would be plenty of time to press it after the Trials were over.

-o-

Cana and Lucy were relaxing in a pool of water, lazily drifting before they had to head to continue further to see what their next task would be.

"Can't believe we pulled that off," Lucy sighed.

"You're telling me. Last time, Freed kicked my ass," Cana sighed.

"You've been training hard since then. Good thing he's such a kid around girls," Lucy giggled.

"I know. Was pretty funny," Cana laughed. "I wonder who else made it?"

"Hmm… Dunno. I'm pretty sure Strider and Wendy will move on, whoever they fight. I think Natsu and Happy and Gray and Loke are going to make it as well. Whoever got the serenity route is definitely going on. Whoever it is, though, we're definitely gonna win," Lucy said confidently.

"Got that right," Cana sighed, reclining a bit as she let the sun beat down on her.

"So I was wondering…," Lucy began.

"Hmmm?" she hummed.

"You and Strider. You almost kissed?" Lucy asked.

"Uhh… yeah, before you came in," Cana said.

"Sorry," Lucy said sheepishly. "Did you think that was gonna happen?"

"No. I mean… he just asked me how I was feeling and then he hugged me. And then… I dunno. We just stared at each other. Next thing I knew, we were almost kissing," Cana said.

"I see," Lucy replied.

"Are you mad?" Cana wondered.

"No… I dunno. I don't have any right to be mad, though, do I?" Lucy asked rhetorically. Cana just sighed. "What about Gildarts? Have you thought about how you're going to tell him?"

"I dunno, honestly. I've been thinking of ways, but… they just don't seem right," Cana said.

"Why not just come out with it?" Lucy suggested. Cana simply shrugged, closing her eyes and drifting along the water.

-o-

"Man… that was harder than I thought it'd be," Gray groaned, rolling his arms. Even without Lisanna, Juvia was a tough match for the spirit and the Ice Wizard.

"Not surprising, though. She was an S-Class in Phantom Lord, wasn't she?" Loke asked.

"Yup. Nearly kicked my ass back then as well. Good thing I had you to count on this time," Gray grinned, giving his friend a thumbs up.

"You know I got your back," Loke grinned back. "Seriously, though, surprised you never made a move on her. She's pretty hot. I can't even tell you how many guys would kill to have a girl as beautiful as she cling on to them."

"Yeah, try it and then tell me if you feel the same way. Besides, there's only one thing I need to think about right now," Gray said seriously.

"Right. Don't worry, buddy. We got this," Loke replied, clapping him on the shoulders and leading on.

-o-

"Sorry about that, Juvia," Lisanna said dejectedly, kneeling by the Water Wizard. Juvia sighed but smiled at her.

"It's fine. I don't mind, honestly. Thank you for partnering with me," Juvia said.

"It's because of me you lost," Lisanna said.

"Don't think like that. I'm honored that Master chose me to participate at all," Juvia said honestly. Lisanna hugged her tightly. Surprised, Juvia nonetheless returned the hug before getting up and heading to the designated waiting area.

-o-

"I had a feeling you were gonna say that," Gildarts said, smiling at Natsu. Suddenly, the Dragon Slayer noted that something was off. Looking around, he saw that debris and rocks began to rise and the room began to shake gently.

"It feels like there's some sort of pressure in here," Happy said fearfully.

"In order to walk the path of magic and eventually reach its peak, there is one thing you still lack," Gildarts said, concentrating his power. Immediately, Natsu felt a burst of power - one he couldn't recall feeling before. The rocks whizzed by his face, cutting him here and there. Eyes wide, he looked on at Gildarts. The Ace was surrounded by a bright white light as his power cascaded off him with the force of a mighty waterfall, seeping through the cracks as it exited the cavern they were in. "Let me… show you."

-o-

"What's that?" Wendy asked fearfully, feeling the ground shake.

"It appears to be magic energy. Quite impressive," Strider said, looking towards its source.

 _'That must be Gildarts if I had to guess. Impressive,'_ he said, continuing on the path.

-o-

Natsu stood wide eyed as he looked up at Gildarts. The Ace stood like a monolithic monster in front of him, his face impassive as he overwhelmed the young Wizard with pure, raw magic power. Natsu tried to go for a punch but a gaze from Gildarts was enough to stop him in his tracks. Slowly, but surely, Natsu felt his will to fight on wash away with the power. Overwhelmed, he fell to his knees. Slowly, Gildarts decreased his power until it was as though nothing ever happened. He looked over Natsu, face still impassive. Shaking, Natsu began to speak.

"I… accept defeat," he said, his voice shuddering as tears splashed on the ground below.

"Natsu…," Happy said, also tearing up. A moment later, Gildarts smiled.

"A wise decision. I applaud anyone who has the courage to stand up and face their enemies. However, the wizards that are the most courageous are those exceptional few that know when to stand down. Remember Natsu, there's nothing wrong with feeling fear. After all, how else would we come to know our own weaknesses? You need to know them in order to become a stronger and gentler person - a necessity for those who wish to become S-Class. Now that I've shared this knowledge with you… you pass, kid," Gildarts said, his voice laced with pride. Natsu's head snapped up, disbelieving what he had just heard.

"But… I didn't-," he began before Gildarts cut him off.

"Don't argue with me. I'm your examiner and I say you passed. You've made it through the first round - but you know how Master can be. I'm sure he's got something much tougher in store for you. Have confidence in yourself; I know you can do it," Gildarts said, resting his hand on Natsu's shoulder. "Now that we've finished up your test, let me tell you something as a friend. Possessing powerful magic isn't the be all-end all. One thing I can truly appreciate is your hunger to win - your burning desire for victory! I say that because I have it too. Like you, I don't wanna lose," Gildarts said, smiling at his de facto son.

"Now go become an S-Class Wizard, you hear me?" Gildarts said, taking his leaving. Still crying, Natsu slowly got to his feet. Forcing a small smile, he let Happy get on his head and the two advanced down the path.

-o-

"Everyone is here at last," Makarov said. Gray and Loke were the last to arrive, preceded by Elfman and Evergreen; Natsu and Happy; Cana and Lucy; Strider and Wendy; and Gajeel and Levy.

"So six teams advance, huh?" Gray noted.

"That's right. Cana and Lucy overcame the deadly duo of Freed and Bixlow," Makarov said, eliciting a smile from the two.

"No way! They beat Freed?!" Gray exclaimed.

"Try not to sound so surprised," Lucy deadpanned.

"Whereas Gray and Loke defeated the formidable team of Lisanna and Juvia," Makarov said.

"Wasn't too bad," Loke grinned.

"Gajeel and Levy chose the serenity route. Talk about lucky," Makarov said.

"Yeah, well I think it's sucky! I wanted to kick some ass!" Gajeel groaned, while Levy just waved at the others.

"Natsu and Happy overcame the obstacle known as Gildarts," Makarov added, his voice reasonably impressed that the two made it through.

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Gray asked, shocked and awed. Natsu, however, was looking away, the fight still going through his mind.

"Elfman and Evergreen beat She-Devil Mirajane," Makarov said.

"No way," Lucy and Cana said in unison.

"How'd you pull that off?" Gray inquired.

"Not gonna lie, I thought you two would've had your asses handed to you," Gajeel said.

"A real man… doesn't share his secrets," Elfman said, notably blushing.

"While Strider and Wendy prevailed against Erza," Makarov ended.

"I didn't really do much," Wendy blushed.

"Don't beat yourself up over it, alright? We still have quite a ways to go," Strider said, resting a hand on her head.

"Yeah, guess I'm not too surprised about that," Lucy said.

"Gather around! Now it's time to learn of your second task," Makarov said.

"Come on, Natsu - Gramps is about to talk! I hate to see you down in the dumps like this," Happy said.

"I'm not. I'm just thinking," Natsu said, head in his hands.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE THINKING?! GUYS, WE HAVE A PROBLEM! COME ON NATSU, SNAP OUT OF IT! YOU'RE GONNA HURT YOURSELF!" Happy said in a panic.

"Jeez, how low do you think of him Happy?" Lucy deadpanned. Finally, however, Natsu got up and joined the others.

"You alright?" Strider wondered.

"Yeah," Natsu affirmed, looking straight ahead. Strider saw the serious look in his eye but decided not to press it further. To his surprise, though, Natsu finally grinned wide.

"Gray! Cana! Levy! Elfman! Strider! Only one of us is gonna be an S-Class Wizard and that's me!" he said, pointing at them.

"Yeah right - in your dreams, Flame Brain. No way I'm gonna let you beat me," Gray replied, grinning just as wide.

"Not gonna happen," Levy said determinedly.

"Challenge accepted - 'cause I'm a real man, baby!" Elfman chimed in ferociously.

"No way we're gonna lose. I'm gonna make you an S-Class Wizard, Cana!" Lucy added.

"Better hope you don't have to fight me because I won't go easy on you," Loke said cockily.

"Ha. Big talk for a bunch of wimps," Gajeel smirked.

"Don't have anything to add?" Makarov asked Strider, who just smiled at the others.

"I'm just honored to be a part of it all," he said humbly.

"Ha. Alright, brats, listen up! To pass the next round, you must search the island for the grave of Fairy Tail's founder - Mavis Vermillion. You have six hours to find it or you fail. I'll be waiting for you there," Makarov said. As he began to walk away, Strider quickly followed.

"Uhh… what're you doing?" Lucy asked.

"Well, if Master Makarov is going to meet us there, I assume that's where he's headed. So might as well just follow," Strider said obviously.

"NEW RULE! NO FOLLOWING!" Makarov added before scurrying off quickly.

"Well, thanks for asking, Lucy," Strider grumbled.

"What?! You can't blame that on me!" she complained.

"I most certainly can. Anyways, let's go, Wendy. Going to have to find a new route now that _someone_ ruined the most obvious one. Best of luck, everyone. Hope to see you there," Strider said. He and Wendy went down another path while the others began to head down others.

"Ugh, that is _so_ not my fault!" Lucy grumbled.


	13. The Flaming Iron

**I would like to get your thoughts on this chapter in particular as I have a feeling that I moved a bit too fast. If that is the case, I'm thinking of rewriting it and breaking it into 2-3 chapters.**

 **-o-**

"Hmmm…," Strider said, looking up at the tree.

"What're you thinking?" Wendy wondered.

"I believe the tree is something sort of like a landmark. I'm thinking that we should search for the grave at the base, first. Then again, that seems a bit too obvious," Strider said.

"We can try flying up there to find it?" Wendy suggested.

"A good idea, but I'm not sure if that'd work. My vision isn't so good that I could see a marker on the ground. Plus, it could be hidden in a cave or under a bunch of trees as well," Strider said.

"So should we head towards the base, then?" Wendy wondered.

"I think that'd be the best way to go," Strider nodded.

-o-

"No way! Elfman and Evergreen said they're getting married?!" Erza exclaimed. She was stirring a pot of stew for herself, Mira, Juvia, and Lisanna.

"Yup. It totally caught me off guard and that gave them an opening to attack," Mira said, rubbing her cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me?! They've obviously been dating a while if they're getting married but you never mentioned it!" Erza said, pointing the ladle at her.'

"Mmm… I think they just wanted to say something shocking to throw me off. I guess I've still got a lot to learn," Mira giggled.

"What if it _wasn't_ a strategy!?" Erza asked.

"Remember who we're talking about here. Knowing my brother, I doubt that it's true. I never imagined them getting married and having babies," Mira said, putting a finger to her lips and thinking of the outcome. It was too much; she quickly broke out in tears.

"There's no need to cry. It's kind of cute, depending on how you look at it," Erza said comfortingly.

"I think they make an awesome couple. They look adorable together," Lisanna cooed.

"Babies…," Juvia trailed off, turning a bright red as a certain sword-wielding Fairy popped into her mind. It was almost too much for her to handle.

"I think Juvia's about blown her top," Lisanna sweatdropped, trying to bring her back to reality. "Hey, what happened to Freed and Bixlow?"

"Apparently, the two of them and Gildarts went back home," Erza said.

"Jeez, talk about impatient. They could've stayed around to watch the rest of the trial," Lisanna grumbled.

"So six teams advanced. This is a really good crop. I don't think we've ever had that many go on to round two," Mira said.

"Indeed. All are quite formidable. Natsu, Gray, Cana, and Strider are powerful. Elfman is no slouch and Levy is easily the smartest out of them all. It'll be interesting to see how it turns out," Erza said.

-o-

"A REAL MAN SHOULD NEVER RUN AWAY FROM HIS ENEMIES?!" Elfman screamed as he and Evergreen were chased by a massive boar-like beast.

"If you don't stop this _'real man'_ nonsense, I'll finish you myself!" Evergreen screamed. The creature suddenly went in for the kill, thrusting a sharp claw at them.

"Look out!" Elfman yelled, tackling her. They began to tumble down a gravelly hole before landing at the bottom with a painful thud. Elfman was breathing heavily as he cradled her close with his body. "Oh, that hurt."

As she noticed the position they were in, Evergreen blushed madly and pushed him off, launching him a few feet into the air.

"Hang on! What do you think you're doing?! Don't you dare start thinking I'm interested in you just because of what I said to Mira! I was only trying to throw her off her game, not expressing any real desire to hook up with you, bonehead!" she yelped.

"Huh? Where's this coming from?" Elfman grumbled. "Gotta hand it to you, though, that was pretty smooth. Hard to believe a nice girl like you came up with such a naughty trick."

"Ugh, you make it sound so dirty," she replied.

"You two alright?" another voice chimed in. Strider and Wendy hopped down the hole as well.

"What're you two doing here?! Are you following us?! That's not manly!" Elfman exclaimed.

"Relax. We were going on our path but Wendy said she heard someone scream, so we decided to check it out. I assume that was you two?" Strider wondered.

"We had a very good reason for that!" Evergreen said hotly.

"Oh yeah, that monster. That thing was huge," Strider said.

"You saw it?" Elfman asked.

"Yeah. He wasn't too bad, though," Strider said.

"Strider sent him flying. Literally," Wendy sighed.

"Flying?" Evergreen asked aghast.

"Telekinesis magic, remember? So long as I have the focus and will, I can move some pretty large things with ease," he said. As he looked ahead, his eyes suddenly narrowed. The others saw and their eyes traveled to where his were affixed as well and a look of surprise crossed their faces.

"P-people?" a young man wearing black robes and a white toga asked. He looked fairly young, they thought, as well as out of it - his movements were laden with stumbles, as though he couldn't stand up on his own two feet.

"Who's that?" Strider wondered.

"I don't understand. Why have you come to such a desolate place? I was under the impression that this island was uninhabited," the man asked.

"Well, you were wrong, pal!" Elfman informed him.

"You are trespassing! Only members of our guild are allowed here," Evergreen said.

"Relax. I'm sure he didn't mean any harm," Strider said soothingly, his eyes fixed on the young man.

"I'm trespassing? Forgive me. I didn't know this island was controlled by a guild," the man said, looking down in sorrow.

"It is! Ours!" Elfman said, taking a step forward.

"No! STAY BACK! Please!" the man suddenly shouted, fear in his eyes. "Please… if you value your life, don't come any closer to me."

"That sounds like a challenge," Elfman said. Strider put a hand on his shoulder and took a step forward, curious. The man looked straight at him and took a step back, gulping.

"No… it's not. It's not. I don't want to fight you. I'll leave the island peacefully. Please… just don't come near me," he said.

"Relax, friend. There's no need to be so hasty. We'll find our Master and I'm sure he can arrange a transport for you," Strider said.

"Friend?" the man asked. Strider was about to reply when suddenly the man's hands flew to his head. "No… here it comes!" he exclaimed, eyes wide. "PLEASE, RUN!"

Wendy, Evergreen, and Elfman took a step back as they saw a black aura begin to emanate from the man. Frowning, Strider withdrew his sword, gulping as he felt it begin to vibrate in his hands.

 _'No. Not now. I need you right now. Obey!'_ he thought to it. The man suddenly released an attack. Wisps of black wind jutted right at the four.

"Strider!" Wendy shouted in horror as Strider brought his sword down on the attack. Hardly anything was heard as they saw the blade begin to glow an eerie black. The man seemed surprised as well. Looking around, they saw that the trees had begun to wilt and the leaves began to wither, as though dying off. Strider grimaced as he felt a sudden pain shot through his left shoulder. Looking at his sword, he gulped yet again. Slowly but surely, the black aura begun to flow inward into it before suddenly, there was no more. It glowed a violent black before subsiding.

"W-what the hell was that?!" Elfman demanded of the man.

"Elfman, Evergreen - take Wendy and go - now," Strider ordered.

"Like hell! We can-," Elfman began before Strider looked at him. In his eyes, there was no more warmth. They appeared to be full of dread and wrath as the formidable Fairy shot him a look.

" _Now,_ " he hissed. Gulping, Elfman nodded. Grabbing Evergreen and Wendy, they took their leave to find the others. Strider, at last, turned to the man, a frown on his face as he approached.

"Your sword…," the man said.

"It has special properties. That's all I'll say on the matter. Take a seat. You don't look well," Strider said, guiding him down to the ground. The man didn't fight back, going with the flow. As he looked up, he saw that beads of sweat had begun to trickle down Strider's forehead, as though he had been running a marathon at a sprint. Strider rolled his left arm, flinching as the pain began to move throughout his entire body.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"My name is Strider. What's yours?" he wondered, coughing slightly.

"My name? My name is… my name… my name is… Zeref," the man said.

"Zeref? I see. Hello, Zeref," Strider said kindly, trying to get the pain under control.

"H-hello," Zeref gulped.

"What're you doing here, if you don't mind my asking?" Strider wondered.

"I… came here to rest. I… it's been… I don't know how long. I'm sorry… please, forgive me," Zeref said, tears beginning to trail down his shoulders. As Strider reached to touch him, he retched. "NO! YOU CAN'T TOUCH ME! I…I…!"

"Relax, kid. I mean you no harm, alright?" Strider said, resting a hand on his shoulder. Zeref closed his eyes shut as he waited for the inevitable, but it never came. As he opened his eyes, he saw Strider smiling at him.

"You… you can touch me?" he asked, aghast.

"I can. Are you surprised?" Strider wondered.

"When… people, animals, plants… they… when they touch me, they…," Zeref trailed off.

"Do you mean to say they die?" Strider asked.

"Yes," Zeref breathed.

"I see. Perhaps you expended to much power in your last attack and that's why I can touch you without a problem," Strider said.

"How?" Zeref asked.

"How what?" Strider wondered.

"My attack. How did you deflect it?" he asked.

"As I said, my sword. But I won't be going into the properties. I'm not entirely sure of them myself, to be honest. Do you want to lay down? You seem tired," Strider said.

"I'm fine," Zeref said firmly.

"Alright. So you came to this island, but you don't know that it belonged to Fairy Tail?" Strider asked.

"That's right," Zeref said.

"I see. How did you get here?" Strider wondered.

"I… do not recall. Boat? Swimming?" Zeref suggested.

"Can you fly?" Strider wondered.

"Heh. A flight like that isn't possible," Zeref said, letting out a short chuckle. Strider simply smiled. "What… is it that you and your guild are doing here?"

"S-Class Trials currently. An extremely important event for the guild," Strider said.

"I see. You… do not seem to be like your guildmates," Zeref said.

"How so?" Strider wondered.

"I cannot place it. You seem more… I don't know," Zeref said.

"I'll take that as a compliment. Now, I am curious about your attack just now. As you can see, the trees aren't too happy," Strider said, waving around him.

"I… sorry," Zeref said, looking down.

"Relax. You didn't seem like you wanted to attack us - that much, even I can tell. I don't blame you. However, your position is precarious," Strider said.

"I… understand," Zeref sighed.

"Black Arts?" Strider wondered.

"What?" Zeref asked in surprise.

"Black Arts. At least, that's what it seems like," Strider said.

"How do you know that Magic?" Zeref asked, retreating a slight bit.

"I had a great teacher," Strider grimaced before getting serious. "Black Arts are a serious matter, but there's a stark difference between the learned and unlearned kinds. I assume you have _some_ training in it, but it appears as though this particular kind wasn't intended. An experiment went wrong?"

"You… could say that, yes," Zeref said.

"What were you trying to do?" Strider asked. Zeref paused, opening and closing his mouth several times to speak. Strider sat and waited patiently for a reply.

"Revival," Zeref finally said.

"Necromancy?" Strider clarified, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," Zeref answered. "You… this is the longest conversation I've held in… I cannot remember how long. You do not fear me?"

"I've met worse, I'm afraid," Strider said with a mirthless laugh. Zeref continued to look at him before finally cracking a small smile.

"I see," he said simply.

"Mmm… Necromancy, Necromancy. Forgive me, but that was a really stupid move," Strider chided.

"It was necessary," Zeref said determinedly.

"Maybe at the time. But the dead are better left that way. Some things shouldn't be attempted. Are you going to tell me you have no regrets about it?" Strider asked quietly.

"I… do. But I stand by it," Zeref said. Strider looked at him before sighing and nodding, rubbing his brows.

"What else did you experience?" he wondered.

"What?" Zeref asked in surprise.

"This isn't your only symptom, is it?" Strider said.

"I…," Zeref began before he felt Strider put another hand on him. As he looked at him, he saw neither fear nor pity; but understanding.

"It's ok," Strider said soothingly. "I'm not going to hurt you. Relax, kid."

"Kid?" Zeref wondered.

"You seem pretty young. Not even any stubble," Strider chuckled, eliciting another small laugh from the Wizard.

"I guess. Other… I… Immo… Immort… Immortality," Zeref said, struggling to get the words out.

"I see. How old are you?" Strider wondered.

"More than 400," Zeref said.

"Interesting," Strider nodded.

"Yo- what?" Zeref asked in surprise.

"What?" Strider repeated.

" _'Interesting'_? Is that it?" Zeref asked.

"Long life isn't all that common where I'm from. You'd still be considered young by some standards," Strider said comfortingly.

"Wh- what? Are… you not from Ishgar?" Zeref asked.

"I'm not," Strider said.

"Alvarez?" Zeref asked.

"No," Strider said.

"Alakitasia? The Eastern Continent?" Zeref wondered.

"No and no. I come from the Northern Continent," Strider said.

"That's impossible. No one has crossed the Great Sea," Zeref said. Strider began to levitate above the ground a bit before sitting back down. "F-f-flight?"

"Telekinesis. I can use it to sustain flight, though, yes," Strider said.

"The Northern Continent?" Zeref repeated.

"Indeed. I've seen Necromancers, although they had more… forgive me, _conviction_ ," Strider said.

"What do you mean by that?" Zeref asked.

"I mean that they were certain in their power and could wield it greatly. It appears your powers are derived from a mistake you made out of love. That… well, I suppose that makes you better than the others I encountered in some ways, but a fool in others," Strider said.

"Did the same happen to them? Were they made immortal?" Zeref asked. Strider heard a hint of hope in his voice.

"They all lived long lives if that's what you mean. But no, not immortal I suppose - they were all hunted and executed eventually. We take a matter like this very seriously up there. that said, absolute immortality is impossible, I think. Unless you count apparitions or such," Strider said.

"You say that to a man that has tried to kill himself on multiple occasions - and failed every single time," Zeref said.

"Do you really want to die?" Strider wondered.

"Do you know what it's like to live like this?" Zeref asked quietly.

"Not yet, no," Strider answered.

"It's torture. It's pain. It's suffering. Do you know what I've done?! How many people have died because of me?! All without me ever wanting it to happen! I just wanted… I just wanted by brother back! But… then THIS! How many brothers have I killed… or sisters? Mothers? Fathers? I… I don't… I can't remember anymore. I've tried to hide or lock myself away but someone… they always come an-… I… just want some peace," Zeref said, tears breaking free and trailing down his eyes. Strider put a comforting arm around him and pulled him in for a brotherly hug.

"There, there…," he whispered. "That bad, huh?"

"Worse. Worse than you can imagine, Strider," Zeref cried.

"Do you really want it to end?" he wondered.

"More than anything," Zeref said.

"Very well. Shall I do the honors, then?" Strider asked.

"W-what?" Zeref asked in shock.

"If you really want to die - _I mean really want to_ \- I can help you. This sword has special properties. Like I said, the Necromancers I encountered were all hunted and executed. There are ways to end even the most stubborn lives. Immortality is never quite as long as so many think it is," Strider said, drawing his blade and showing the black shine. Zeref's eyes widened as he suddenly heard a low murmur.

"The sword," he said, retreating a bit.

"You hear it?" Strider asked quietly.

"What… what… is that? I have never seen a weapon… like…," Zeref said.

"There's no reason to explain it, I'm afraid. All you need to know is that if you really want it, I can end it for you right here. I would promise that this would be painless - and mostly, it will be - but part of it _will_ hurt," Strider said.

"Why are you offering?" Zeref asked.

"Your life seems to be… torturous. I can understand why you'd like to end it if anything. I can give that to you, should you wish it. You have but to ask - but you _will_ have to ask," Strider said.

"Wh - what do you intend to do, exactly?" Zeref gulped.

"Do you _really_ want the details?" Strider wondered. Zeref looked at him, scanning his figure completely; from the coal black eyes, the to jet black hair, down his robe, noting the cloak, tracing the length of his sword, before landing on his feet. As he went up, he felt something else; the innate power that radiated from Strider.

"You're quite powerful," Zeref added.

"Years of training. Your answer? You say this is what you want, after all," Strider said, pressing. Zeref thought about what to say.

 _'Yes… yes, this is what I want. What have I to lose? Either he will give me my wish, in which case I shall be eternally thankful; or he will fail in which case I have lost nothing, but may have… maybe gained… a friend? He does not seem to fear me, nor respect me. He simply seems to acknowledge me,'_ Zeref thought.

"If you fail?" Zeref asked.

"We're back at square one," Strider said.

"Yes, I suppose. I… very well. I will allow you try," Zeref said.

"Alright. Close your eyes," Strider said. Zeref did as he was told and soon felt Strider's hand on either side of his head. "This will hurt, but I promise it'll be over soon. After this, you won't feel a thing."

Zeref nodded in affirmation. Immediately, his eyes shot wide open. He opened his mouth to let out a scream, but no sound came out. His eyes snapped from side to side and they saw that Strider's hands were glowing an eerie blue. He felt as though someone had stabbed him in the cranium and was trying to pull his skull apart in two with their bare hands. He began to let out agonizing wheezes, trying his best to put the pain out of his mind. However, that had no effect; instead, the pain began to increase. He felt a trickle of water down his eyes and saw red - blood. He managed to bring his hands up and saw a terrifying sight; they had begun to cling stronger to his skin, as though the water and blood were being sucked out. He felt a pressure in his chest, as though something was constricting it. Finally, he felt Strider release his head.

Strider pulled his sword out and looked at it before, in one strong slash, he swung it at the head of Zeref. As though cutting through butter, it lopped off. Instead of letting the body fall, however, Stride immediately used his telekinesis to keep it in place. He drove the sword down the esophagus before the blood could begin to geyser out. His sword began to vibrate violently in his hand as the blood began to converge around it. The blood began to spiral around at a high speed as it ripped and roared across the black blade. Slowly, but surely, the blood began to seep into the sword itself - as though the metal was drinking it. Strider kept it in place for a minute, licking his lips as he closed his eyes. A few tears fell from them as he scrunched his face in pain; his left shoulder was aching in a way it hadn't in years. Finally, as he withdrew the sword, the bloodless, headless body fell to the ground. Strider fell to his knees, using his sword to keep him steady. As he looked at it, it gave off a violent, black glow before settling down, having had some of its fill. As he looked at the blade, he frowned.

 _'You're still not satisfied? I need… something bigger. Much bigger,'_ he thought, biting his tongue. _'Hope the others are alright.'_

As Strider looked at the body, he brought the head back to it. Matching it, he used his telekinesis to keep it attached.

 _"Ú-reniathach_

 _i amar galen_

 _I reniad lín ne môr, nuithannen_ , _"_ Strider said as he closed the eyes before getting up and taking his leave, swiping his hand slightly and sending the body rocketing to the edge of the island.

-o-

As Strider was looking for the others, he felt a sudden pain shot through his left arm. Almost immediately, it brought him to his knees. He bit his tongue to suppress a scream while his right hand grasped his shoulder, trying to do something to quell it. The biting pain was unstoppable, however. As it kept going through his body, Strider felt a darkness wash over him. Quickly, he lost consciousness.

-o-

"And who might this be?" Strider heard a voice say.

"STRIDER!" he heard someone yell. Slowly, Strider got to his feet, his breathing difficult. He felt a swift kick that sent him rocketing into a tree, although the pain was minimal. He slowly got to his feet, eyes closed as he tried to get his bearings straight. Opening them, he frowned as he saw Mira in her She-Devil form being cradled by a crying Lisanna. As he saw Lisanna's tears, he felt a sudden rush of anger - one more powerful than any he had felt in a long time. He quickly approached them, not noticing the other man that was watching the scene unfold.

"What happened?" he asked, dropping to his knees as he looked for a pulse.

"Wh - what happened to you?" she asked.

"I… I'll explain later. Mira? Mira, wake up!" Strider said, panicking. He sighed in relief as he felt a pulse, albeit faint. "She's alive… she's al - who the fuck are you?"

Standing across the way was a tall, muscular man with tan skin and thick, brown hair that jutted out in all directions in a rectangular fashion. He had brown eyes and long sideburns as well as a goatee. In his ear, he wore crescent moon earrings. He had on a green muscle shirt with orange pants. As he observed Strider, he scoffed slightly.

"That's Azuma. One of the Seven Kin of Purgatory," Lisanna said, grinding her teeth.

"Who?" Strider asked.

"We're under attack by a Dark Guild! Mira and I were looking for you but we got attacked! Why the hell were you sleeping?!" Lisanna demanded angrily. As she saw his sweat, however, she felt a sudden pang go through her stomach. Reaching across to touch him, Strider's head snapped at her. She saw very little of the warmth she always saw in his eyes.

"A Dark Guild?" Strider confirmed.

"Y-yeah. G-Grimoire Heart. They're looking for someone on the island!" Lisanna said, looking back at her sister. As Strider saw her tears come streaming down, he felt a pang in his stomach.

"Lisanna, take Mira and ge-," Strider began before he was interrupted by Mira's cough.

"S-Strider," she said, opening her eyes as her body shifted back to its regular form. Strider gulped as he saw how bloody and bruised she was.

"Hey, Mira. I'm sorry for worrying you," Strider said.

"B-be careful," she said.

"I will. You just get some rest. I'll come wake you once I take care of this guy, alright?" Strider said, gently caressing her cheek. Mira smiled at him and nodded before passing out. "Lisanna, take her to safety. I'll cover you."

"Alright. Careful. He's… strong," Lisanna gulped. Holding her gently but securely, Lisanna ran off. Azuma sent an attack at her, but it was easily deflected by Strider.

 _'Can't use it on him. No… it wouldn't be enough, anyways. He's far too weak.'_

"It appears as though my fight with the legendary She-Devil of Fairy Tail is finished. A shame. I had heard that she was considerably powerful," Azuma said.

"Why have you attacked us?" Strider asked, frowning.

"We are looking for something on this island," Azuma responded.

"Mavis Vermillion's grave?" Strider wondered.

"No, nothing like that. A living person. A man. A Wizard," Azuma responded.

"I see. And you thought that attacking us was the best way to go about finding whatever it is you're looking for?" Strider asked.

"Our leader has a distaste for your guild. Part of it is finding what we need - the other is looking for a fight," Azuma said.

"And what do _you_ want?" Strider wondered.

"I would be happy with simply fighting a worthy opponent. I assumed as such in the She-Devil, although was left… wanting," Azuma said.

"Well, let's get down to it then," Strider said. He quickly uprooted a tree and sent it hurtling at Azuma, who easily blasted it away.

"Impressive. What is your Magic?" Azuma wondered.

"Telekinesis," Strider answered.

"I see. I u-," Azuma began before Strider cut him off.

"We don't need to have a conversation. Let's end this quickly so I can move on to your master," Strider said, hurtling forth. Azuma sent several attacks at him, but each was deflected. Strider kicked Azuma straight in the chest, launching the mage back before pouncing on him. He quickly began to lay into the Wizard with a flurry of punches, his hands eventually beginning to crack his skull. As he got up, he brought Azuma with him before dropping him on his knee, continuing to stomp him in the chest before kicking him away. As Azuma got back to his feet, he grimaced as he saw the blood trickling from his nose and mouth.

"You're not like your comrades," he said, spitting some out. Strider didn't reply as he attempted to get close again. "BLEVE!"

Strider was engulfed in an explosion. As the dust settled, Azuma saw Strider fly towards him yet again, grabbing his face and driving him into the ground. Strider picked Azuma up by the collar and threw him into a tree, grimacing as he felt the pain in his shoulder again. As Azuma got to his feet once again, he staggered as he walked towards Strider. The damage from the flurry of vicious punches was beginning to show. While he was able to take care of Mira without much trouble, he figured it was because she was rusty from being out of the field for so long. As he sized up his opponent, however, he saw that Strider was something else entirely; most certainly not rusty. He would have to take it up a notch. Raising his hands, roots began to spring out of the ground, buffeting Strider around like a pinball. He soon took to the sky, giving him enough time to telekinetically divert the roots.

"Flight?" Azuma asked in surprise.

Rearing back a bit, Strider suddenly lunged at the ground. Azuma sent another root at him, but instead of diverting it, Strider tanked right through. He soon managed to land another hit on Azuma. Driving his face into the ground again, the force of the impact cratered it, sending out a small shockwave. Azuma, however, began to get up again.

"I'm impressed. You've taken quite a bit of damage, but you keep getting up," Strider commented.

"One… cannot ke…ep a tree down. Whatever you pile… on…top, it will come through," Azuma said, vomiting some blood and teeth. Despite being able to get up, he felt that his entire body was about to burst from the pain that was inflicted. "You… are a… worthy opponent. This I am certain of."

 _'I… cannot case Terra Clamare. Must.. do… something to… hold him,'_ Azuma thought. Suddenly, Strider disappeared in front of him, leaving nothing but a wisp of smoke in his wake. Azuma looked around before he suddenly felt an arm close around his neck. Strider took Azuma to the ground, wrapping his legs around his waist as he began to apply a rear naked choke. Azuma found his neck in the crook of Strider's elbow, who soon began to apply pressure, leveraging himself by placing the arm wrapped around the neck on his bicep. Weakened from the punches and kicks he had sustained, Azuma flailed around in a woeful effort to get free.

"You cannot hold me, I'm afraid. But don't worry. I'm only going to knock you out. The authorities will take care of you, I'm sure," Strider said, applying more pressure. Azuma let out short groans as he trailed to slap Strider away, but eventually, they grew weaker. Eight seconds into it, Azuma stopped moving, out cold. Getting back to his feet, Strider threw Azuma over his right shoulder and began walking to the camp.

-o-

"Strider!" Lisanna cried out as she saw him bring Azuma over.

"Hey. How're you feeling?" Strider asked as he plopped Azuma on the ground. Lisanna looked at him fearfully before quickly tying him up.

"I - I'm fine. You beat him," she said, sighing in relief. She led Strider over to Mira, who was resting peacefully. As Strider caressed the oldest sisters cheek, Lisanna looked between the two. She saw the warmth had returned to Striders eyes as he looked at Mira, full of concern as well as something else. She rested her hand on his shoulder and gave him a kind smile. With a sigh, Strider got up.

"Is anyone else back?" he asked.

"SOMEONE, HELP!" they soon heard Levy's voice. She was carrying Gajeel on her shoulder, both having sustained some injuries. Strider immediately took the Dragon Slayer, laying him down.

"What happened?" Lisanna asked, near tears again.

"We were attacked… by two of them. Some… big chicken looking guy and a knight or something! Freed and Bixlow… they're back and fighting them. I barely got Gajeel here in time. Is… is he going to be…?" Levy asked, heart falling.

"He'll be fine, Levy - don't worry. He just needs some rest. He took a bit of damage," Strider said as he began to wrap some bandages around him.

"Lisanna, could you? I'm… not as good with treating injuries, I'm afraid," Strider grimaced, seeing the shoddy job.

"Sure," Lisanna said, taking over.

"So that's three of the Seven Kin or whatever. Four left," Strider said. Looking around, he weighed his options.

"You should go," Levy said determinedly. "They need you out there."

"I can't leave you two alone, especially not when Gajeel and Mira can't move much," Strider said. Lisanna was about to argue when they heard a rustling. Strider was ready to pounce but grew more worried as he saw what came through. Natsu and Master Makarov, supported by Wendy and Erza.

"What happened?!" Strider asked.

"Grimoire Heart. Where the hell have you been?!" Erza asked angrily.

"Forgive me. I was… out of it," Strider said guiltily.

"What is that supposed to mean?!" she inquired.

"I-," Strider began before she simply pushed past him, laying Natsu down while Wendy did the same for Master Makarov. As they began healing them, Strider quietly took his leave to find someone else.

-o-

"Sleeping?!" Erza asked furiously.

"He was knocked out. I dunno why," Lisanna said worriedly.

"AT A TIME LIKE THIS?!" Erza yelled.

"Erza - calm down! We've got more important things to deal with right now," Lisanna said, gulping. Breathing heavily, Erza nodded. "So like I said, he was knocked out. He didn't even feel the kick from Azuma. When he woke up, though… I dunno. He didn't seem to well."

"What do you mean?" Erza frowned.

"He was sweating, for some reason - like he was in pain or something. He looked like he was on edge, as well," Lisanna said.

"I see. Alright. We'll deal with that later, though. I will remain here until some of the others get back," Erza said. As she took guard, she wondered what Lisanna meant.

-o-

As Strider came upon Gray and Juvia, he saw that they were locked in battle with someone else.

"Strider!" Juvia cried out.

"You guys need help?" he wondered.

"No! Strider - Juvia and I got this. You go help out the others! Well head to camp as we finish," Gray said.

"You sure?" Strider inquired.

"Positive. Now go," Gray ordered. Pausing to look around, Strider saw a pink haired girl as well as a dark purple haired beauty. She looked at him with interested eyes. Matching her gaze, Strider let out a short scoff before he heard Evergreen and Elfman in the distance. Deciding to give them a show power, he quickly erupted from the ground, cratering it and making all four wizards stumble.

"Show off," Gray grumbled before turning back to his foe.

"And who was that? My records don't show any sign of another Fairy," the woman said.

"Sorry, Ultear - that's for us to know and you to find out. Now, let's get down to it, yeah?" Gray said, launching an Ice Bringer at her.

-o-

Evergreen and Elfman were about to be attacked by a massive black wyvern that was suddenly demolished, surprising both them and their foe. As the dust cleared, Strider stood with his sword bared and looking for his fight.

"Strider!" Evergreen shouted.

"Evergreen, Elfman - you two get to safety. Lisanna, Mira, Erza, Wendy, Natsu, Levy, Gajeel, and Master Makarov are already there," Strider said.

"Bullshit, come on! We ca-," Elfman began before Strider looked at him.

"Mira needs you. She was injured - badly. So were Gajeel, Natsu, and Master Makarov. All they have now is Erza and Wendy - they _need_ you two. I can handle this guy," Strider said, finally finding another of the Seven.

"Mira?" Elfman asked, stunned.

"Go. Lisanna will explain. Go now!" Strider shouted. With a gulp, Elfman nodded.

"Thanks for the heads up," he said, grasping Evergreens hand and heading towards the waiting area.

"Oh my, what do we ha-," the enemy started before Strider quickly tore towards him with a visceral fury. He barely brought up a shield, but with the second slash of his sword, Strider ripped through it. He kicked the Kin away before prowling around him like an animal.

"I see. Not one for small talk. My name is Rustyrose. And you are…?" the man inquired.

"Not interested," Strider answered, slicing through a variety of constructs that began appearing.

 _'This is an interesting Magic. It's as though he can make these things appear out of thin air. I don't think I've ever seen anything like this,'_ he thought.

"Mmm," Rustyrose hummed, frowning. Regardless of what he tried, Strider seemed to easily cut through it. The moment of reflection was Strider needed; quickly he got close to Rustyrose, punching him in the throat. As Rustyrose began to cough, Strider pummeled him with swift knees to his stomach before suplexing him. Strider quickly mounted Rustyrose and began to pummel him. While Azuma was extremely durable and built like an oak tree, Rustyrose was scrawnier. A few telekinetically driven punches were enough to shatter his cheekbones, splintering the glasses. With one final, powerful punch, Strider threw him over his shoulder and headed towards base camp, trailing his blood behind him.

 _'Huh. Talk about a glass chin,'_ Strider thought, marveling at how easy it was. He had no doubt that if it wasn't for his sword, the battle could've been significantly harder. As he thought about it, the sword vibrated again.

"Obey," he snarled in a low voice, stopping it from vibrating yet again. As some of Rustyroses' blood dripped onto the scabbard, it began to seep through. Strider gulped, wondering how many else would be left.

 _'Azuma and this guy; that's two down. Gray and Juvia are taking care of two more, while Freed and Bixlow are taking care of another two, That means… one more? Or maybe one more plus the Master of the guild. I imagine he brought some others as well. Damn it! Why the hell are they even here?!'_ Strider thought, his mind ablaze as he walked back to the camp. As he threw Rustyrose in with Azuma, he quickly headed out again, looking for more.

-o-

"Man, I don't think I've ever seen him so pissed," Elfman gulped, looking at the two fallen warriors.

"You're telling me. He can be quite terrifying when he wants to," Evergreen said as she tended to Elfman's wounds. He had taken the brunt of the damage during their fight.

"Beat this guy like it was nothing," Elfman grumbled as he laid down, wincing in pain. Rustyrose had gotten the better of both him and Evergreen, disallowing them any attacks. As he scolded himself internally, he felt Evergreen put a hand on his forehead. He saw the worry in her eyes as a light blush roused in her cheeks. As Lisanna watched the scene unfold, she couldn't help but smile.

 _'Looks like Elf might finally be growing up!'_ she thought.

-o-

"Strider!" Lucy called out, hugging him tightly as she came across him. Next to her was someone Strider didn't recognize. He looked much like a goat, although a well-dressed one at that. He had oval horns that curved down and forward and wore a pair of thin, black sunglasses, and a suit and tie. He put a hand over his chest, bowing slightly to Strider.

"Who's this?" Strider wondered in surprise.

"This is Capricorn! He's my newest Celestial Spirit!" Lucy said, excited about the addition.

"I see. And… how'd you get him?" Strider wondered.

"Forgive me, sir. Long story short considering current circumstances - I was part of the Seven Kin, but have defected upon learning that Lucy's mother was Layla Heartfilia, my previous Master. I vowed to her to protect Miss Lucy and shall do so to the best of my abilities," Capricorn said. Strider observed him for a little while before finally nodding.

"Lucy, head to the camp. I'm still looking for any other threats. Let's see… Gray and Juvia are fighting two, two are down. One is on our side, so… two remain," Strider said, narrowing it down.

"Who is defeated might I ask?" Capricorn inquired.

"Azuma and Rustyrose," Strider answered.

"I see. And the two in combat?" he wondered.

"I don't know their names. One had pink hair, the other had purple hair," Strider said.

"Melody and Ultear. Quite formidable," Capricorn said.

"Oh! I took down one guy! So that's one left!" Lucy exclaimed excitedly.

"Well done," Strider said, managing a smile. Lucy returned it before suddenly realizing something else.

"Wait! Natsu beat one as well, I think! So that's seven out of seven!" she said.

"You still have several formida-," Capricorn began before Strider suddenly fell to his knees, grasping his left shoulder in pain.

"Strider!" Lucy shrieked in worry, getting down as well as she tried to hold him. She heard him panting heavily, something that terrified her. Until now, she knew him as unflappable in any situation. "What's wrong? Are you ok?!"

"I-I-I'm fine," Strider said, biting his tongue to suppress the pain. He steadily got his feet, helped up by Capricorn.

"No, you're not! What happened? Did you get hurt?!" Lucy shrieked, taking his face in her hands. In his eyes, she saw little of the warmth she had grown accustomed to. For once, she saw something else: dread.

"It… long story. Let's get this done first," Strider said. Lucy was about to speak when Capricorn put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's correct, Miss Lucy. I shall escort her to the camp. I imagine some of our forces might still be on the island, should you wish to round them up," Capricorn said. Strider nodded his thanks to him before quickly taking his leave.

-o-

"Lucy!" Erza shouted.

"I'm here, don't worry! What's the plan?!" Lucy quickly exclaimed.

"You, Natsu, Gray, Wendy, and I will be heading to the main ship. Where is Strider? Have you seen him?!" Erza asked.

"He's going to round up the guys that are on the island. I guess he'll meet us there. Listen, Erza…," Lucy began as the group headed towards the ship. As she regaled her with what happened with Strider, she saw the color drain from Erza's face.

"His shoulder?" she asked.

"Yeah. Whatever it was… I don't know, it was bad. He looked like he was about to pass out," Lucy gulped.

"Pass out?" Erza asked, stunned.

"Yeah," Lucy said.

"Lisanna said when they found him, he was unconscious. You don't think…?" Erza trailed off.

"I don't know. Maybe. I've never seen him like that. I don't know if it happened during one of the fights, or what," Lucy said.

"We'll… talk to him about once we finish off Grimoire Heart," Erza said, frowning. She remembered that Strider didn't seem to be all there during her fight with him and wondered if that was related to his shoulder?

-o-

"Cana!" Strider shouted, seeing her unconscious. Gildarts, he saw, was locked in a fight against another of Grimoire Heart.

"Strider! Take Cana and get out of here - I got this guy!" Gildarts shouted.

"On it!" Strider replied, picking her up princess style and rushing away. Despite her light weight, he felt the pressure on his shoulder, almost sagging him down. Biting through the pain, he managed to carry her to base camp, laying her down next to Mira. An injured Juvia had joined Gajeel, Elfman, Makarov and Mira on the ground. As he looked around, he saw the rest of his team wasn't there.

"Juvia…," Strider whispered, caressing her cheek as he scolded himself

"The others - they've gone to fight their Master," Lisanna said.

"Alright. I'm going to do one more round and then I'll meet them at the ship. It looks like Freed and Bixlow still aren't back," Strider frowned.

"I hope they're alright," Lisanna said, clasping her hands together as though praying. Strider put a comforting hand on her shoulder before heading off into the sky, looking for disturbances in the distance. He saw a burst of dark energy come from one of the beaches around the island.

 _'That must be Freed,'_ Strider thought, flying towards it. As he arrived a few minutes later, he saw that there was a chicken and knight laying on the ground, while Freed and Bixlow were barely standing just meters away.

"You two alright?" Strider inquired.

"Ha! Ne…ver better, man," Bixlow grinned, although he appeared ready to collapse.

"We… appear to have been successful in our battle," Freed sighed, breathing heavily.

"Ha! We… w…won't go do…down tha…t easy," the knight said, trying to get up. His body suddenly crashed down, crunching slightly under the telekinetic pressure put on it by Strider.

"Come. Let's get you both to base camp," Strider said, putting their arms around him. Wincing as he felt another pain shot through his arm, he took all three of them to the sky, leaving the other two in their place. As they finally got back to base camp, Lisanna and Levy both took one of the men and laid them down to get some rest.

"How are you two keeping up?" Strider asked concernedly.

"It's my fault Gajeel's like this," Levy said, tears beginning to form.

"You can't blame yourself for this, Levy. No one could've predicted this happening," Strider said.

"Still, when that chicken and knight attacked, he told me to leave. I… I couldn't do a thing," Levy cried. Lisanna quickly embraced the bluenette, trying to comfort her while Strider a hand on her shoulder.

Strider was about to take flight when he and the others saw a massive stream of fire and electricity overhead. It was as though a dragon had breathed a massive plume of fire as it went over their heads, shocking everyone that was still conscious. Looking up, Gildarts grinned from his own fight, knowing that it could only come from one source.

 _'Atta boy, Natsu,'_ the man thought proudly.

"That's gotta be Natsu!" Lisanna said happily.

"I'll head over there now," Strider said, quickly taking to the air and towards the ship. As he approached it from the sky, he saw his team locked in a fight with what appeared to be a wizened old man. He had a lengthy white beard and wore black-brown armor. He stood at an impressive height, towering over the rest. Strider could feel the Magic energy roll off of him in waves, and it was given more credence with how easily he was dealing with the others. Unsheathing his sword, Strider quickly smashed down onto the ship, rocking it.

"Strider!" Lucy cried out. She was holding onto Natsu, who seemed just about ready to collapse. In the corner, laying on the ground was someone else that Strider didn't recognize - a man with blonde hair, a thunderbolt-shaped scar above and below his right eye, blue shirt, and burgundy jeans.

"And who is this?" the old man asked.

"Strider. You are?" Strider wondered.

"That's their master, Hades," Erza said. Struggling to get up, she soon almost fell but caught herself.

"You guys take a breather. I'll take care of him," Strider said, swiveling the sword in his hand before launching at Hades. He brought up his arms in an 'X' to defend himself but the force of the telekinetically empowered kick broke through the defense, buffeting him back.

"How is that guy still not down?" Lucy asked fearfully.

"He's… pretty tough," Gray sighed, carefully watching the fight between Strider and Hades. Like Erza, he noted that Strider wasn't moving as lithely as he usually did, as though something was stunting his progress. As Lucy and Erza exchanged a look, they saw that Erza was right; something _was_ off. As Hades managed to get a few licks in, Strider took a moment to recompose himself. Licking his lips, he swiveled the hilt of his sword in his hands, as though trying to find a comfortable grip.

 _'Going to have to end this quickly. This'll hurt… but at least I can rest after this,'_ Strider thought as he brought his sword up. Breathing deeply, he brought it down. There was a sudden flash from it as a burst of massive energy rocketed towards Hades at breakneck speed. The burst connected, shearing the ship in half. The others looked on wide-eyed as they saw the burst continue onto the beach, veritably parting a portion of the sea in front of them. As Hades vomited some blood, Strider quickly tore in close to him, wrapping a hand around his beard as he head butted him back.

"A…ah… you're quite impressive, boy," Hades said as he staggered back to his feet before falling to his knees again; before rising to his feet for the second time.

"I'm surprised you're still conscious," Strider said, looking around.

"You cannot defeat me so easily, I'm afraid," Hades taunted.

"There are ways," Strider responded, holding his hand out. Hades body lurched forth, his chest connected with Striders outstretched foot which sent him rocketing back again. As he got up, Strider was more surprised than anything else.

 _'This guy is as durable as Azuma. Hmmm…,'_ Strider thought as he circled around to stand in front of his teammates. As Hades suddenly reached for his eyepatch, Strider immediately stopped him. Hades attempted to push through the telekinesis that held him in place, but as his hand inched closer, Strider pulled it back. He flashed a look at Erza, who immediately understood.

"His eye!" she shouted. That was all the others needed to give it one last push. Strider wrenched his hand down, keeping it in place. A look of terror dawned on Hades face as he saw that he would be unable to prevent what was going to happen. Being their quickest member, Lucy and Wendy grabbed Natsu by the hand and thrust him forward. As he got to them, Erza and Gray brought their feet to match his before each gave him the most powerful kick they could muster. Having finally gotten the proper momentum, Natsu ensconced one of his fists in a brilliant flame. A snarl on his face for what he did to his friends, Natsu poured as much fury and passion as he could into the punch. It connected viciously with the eyepatch that covered Hades right eye. Even from where they stood, everyone heard a sickening crunch - as though the right half of the skull was crushed into meal. Unable to stand the biting pain, Hades collapsed backward, his hand covering his eye as he breathed to try and get it under control. As he felt his eye, his blackened heart sank; the pain bit to the very touch.

"Did… we do it?" Wendy asked.

"I think so," Erza said, almost collapsing again. She and the others poured as much as they had into the fight. As she was about to fall this time, however, she found that Strider had caught her. Smiling her thanks at him, she put an arm around his shoulder as a support.

"Feeling alright?" Strider wondered.

"As… well as I can in… a situation like this," she grunted.

"Let's get you all some rest. You certainly deserve it. Lucy, can you support Erza? I'll grab Natsu," Strider said. Lucy eagerly acquiesced and wrapped her arm around her friend's waist. As Strider picked Natsu up, he felt another rocking on the ship. Looking back, he sighed as many more of the Grimoire Heart henchman came up to them, wielding their weapons and snarling at the team.

"Oh great, now we have to fight… these guys?" Gray asked.

"Surr-," one began before their eyes suddenly widened. Looking behind, Strider let out a sigh of relief. Slowly but surely, the rest of the guild had joined them on the ship. Most of them were sporting serious injuries, with only a couple being able to stand on their own two feet without support. However, everyone wore a serious expression as they looked at the remainder of Grimoire Heart.

"That's their Master, Makarov!" one of the men yelled.

"ABANDON HOPE! ABANDON SHIP!" another screamed in terror as he quickly jumped out of one of the many holes. Others began to follow his lead, relieving the guild of having to continue their fight.

"Come on - let's all head back to camp," Makarov finally said in a gentle voice.

"M-Makarov," Hades coughed. Looking at Master Makarov, everyone began to file back to camp in silence, giving the two old men a chance to talk in peace.

-o-

 **I'll be taking a different track with Zeref as opposed to what I was originally going to do. He will be returning in the future.**


	14. Dragonfire

"Of all the people, Precht," Makarov sighed as he stood over his former master.

"Huh. I… didn't think it would turn out like this," Precht wheezed. "Not… sure where you pulled that boy from."

"Why?" Makarov asked.

"Why… what?" Precht asked.

"You were Master of Fairy Tail. This guild… was your home. Your family. Why? Why did you attack us - on Tenrou Island of all places!" Makarov said.

"Z… ha. It's not important now. You won. I lost," Precht said.

"I did not want to win. I did not want to fight. _You_ did," Makarov said. "Why?"

"You know what I've… dedicated my life to," Precht said.

"All for her? Is that what you're trying to tell me?" Makarov asked. "You think she would've approved this?!"

"Maybe… maybe not. I thought I… had finally found a way. With him. With the Black Wizard," Precht said. "He was supposed to be here."

"That's ridiculous," Makarov said coldly. He met Precht's eye and sighed loudly before beginning to walk away.

"The authorities will come pick you up. I…," Makarov paused before continuing.

-o-

The Tenrou Island team was finally enjoying a well-deserved break from all the hell that they had just endured. Most everyone was sleeping off the injuries they had sustained, while some of the previously injured were only starting to get the feeling back in their limbs. Mira sat off to the side as she watched the scene unfold in front of her with a smile.

"It's good to see you well again," she heard a voice say from behind.

"Strider!" she exclaimed, trying to get up.

"Please, stay seated," he said, returning the smile as he took a seat next to her.

"Thank you," she said.

"No need to thank me, Mira," Strider whispered.

Softly, Mira rested her head on his shoulder, cuddling closer and letting his warmth wash over her. By now, she felt that she could count on Strider to support and help her when she needed it, as could the rest of Fairy Tail. She recalled what Lisanna had told her and how worried he was for her safety. The thought brought her no small amount of joy and comfort, knowing that some would look out for her. She scolded herself for letting her power fall so low, that she was hardly able to keep up with Azuma. She guiltily looked at Lisanna, who seemed to be having fun with Happy. As Strider saw her expression, he put an arm around her waist and gave her a gentle hug.

"You did the best you could," he said soothingly.

"Yeah… it wasn't even close to being enough," Mira said dejectedly.

"Don't think of it like that. Lisanna told me what you did, taking that attack from him. That was extremely brave of you," Strider said.

"I… just couldn't let her get hurt like that again. Never again," Mira said fiercely. She felt Strider rest his lips atop her head, giving her a soft kiss. The action made her blush slightly but she nonetheless looked up at him, smiling wide. "Any idea where the others are?"

"I believe I saw Natsu and Gildarts go off somewhere inland. Looks like Lucy and Cana are preparing to go for a walk as well," Strider said, nodding his head at the two.

"You don't have to keep me company, you know," Mira said.

"Maybe not, but have you already forgotten what I told you last night?" Strider wondered.

"You enjoy spending time with me?" Mira asked in a soft voice.

"That's right," Strider said. Mira smiled a bit brighter as he confirmed, putting her arms around his waist and giving him a tight hug.

"THAT'S NOT MANLY!" Elfman yelled, bringing attention to the two. He immediately regretted it as Mira flashed him a dark and dangerous look.

"People need to learn to mind their own business," Mira grumbled.

"Ha. He's just looking out for you. That said, perhaps you should tease him back regarding him and Evergreen. Look how lovey-dovey they are," Strider chuckled.

"Good idea. I'll talk to you in a bit," she said, giving him one more squeeze before getting up to sit with her brother and his crush. A short pause later, Strider got up and began to go inland for a walk, Erza following him closely.

-o-

"I know you're there, Erza," Strider sighed as he leaned against a tree.

"How're you feeling?" she asked in worry as she stood in front of him, gently reaching to touch his left shoulder. She noticed his recoil as soon as her finger touched it.

"I… feel fine," Strider said.

"You're the worst liar I've ever met," Erza sighed. She gently pushed him against the tree as she began to roll his left sleeve up. Strider quickly grabbed her wrist, giving her a cold look.

"What're you doing?" he asked in a low voice.

"You're hurt. Badly. It's been going on since you're fight with me earlier today. Why? What happened?" she asked. He looked at her with piercing eyes before slowly letting it go, gulping.

"It's an injury I sustained a long time ago. It… tends to act up now and again," Strider said.

"Did it hit a nerve?" Erza frowned.

"If only. No, it was something else," Strider said. Erza looked at him before beginning to roll up his sleeve a second time. This time, Strider just sighed and let her do it.

 _'Going to happen eventually,'_ he thought.

As she began going, Erza sighed sadly. Along his arms were two marks that went up in a helix pattern. They were extremely thin and red, as though burning hot strands of fire had been pressed and patterned up. As she traced them, Strider felt a shiver go down his spine, remembering the exact day he received them. She continued rolling the sleeve up before she got to his shoulder. Her eyes widened as she saw a large, black splotch there. As she touched it, she felt Strider recoil viciously yet again.

"What happened?" she asked quietly.

"I was caught off guard," Strider sighed, looking at the wound with contempt.

"What made it?" she inquired.

"A cursed blade. It stabbed me and this is what was left. I've visited every prominent healer I could think of back home, but none could advise me on a cure. I'll have it for the rest of my life," Strider sighed. He felt Erza bring a hand to his cheek, gently cupping it as she continued to observe the wound.

"Is this why you were passed out when Lisanna found you?" Erza asked.

"It was. It doesn't happen often, but sometimes the wound flares up - badly. Especially if I use my sword too often," Strider sighed.

"Why use it at all if that's the case?" Erza asked.

"Ha. My sword is an extension of myself. I can't quite give it up that easily. Besides, this is the first time it's flared up in at least a year. The pain will subside soon enough," Strider said.

"Why… is it so black?" she asked.

"As I said, it was a cursed blade - so it was imbued with Magic. The one who gave it to me was adept in the Black Arts, so many of his attacks were Magic in nature. This is the remnant," Strider said.

"Does it hurt much?" Erza asked, not sure if she actually wanted an answer.

"I consider cutting my arm off every time," Strider said with a mirthless scoff as he pulled his sleeve back down. Bringing her other hand to his cheek, Erza gently pulled him in for a hug. A bit surprised by the action, Strider rolled with it nonetheless. Putting his arms around Erza's waist, he pulled her in closer as well. As she felt their bodies mesh together, Erza felt a pleasurable shiver run up and down her spine. She felt his hands rest securely on her lower back while her arms were comfortably fastened around his neck. While she had many embraces with others before, she felt as though this one felt different - as though there was something else there. The side of her head rested against his, her lips near his ear; at the same time, she felt his warm exhales on her neck, another nice feeling. Erza felt Strider shift gently, rearing back a bit as he stared at her with intense eyes. She returned the stare, lips slightly parted as she wondered where this would lead.

"WHAT'RE YOU TWO DOING?!" they suddenly heard another voice cut in. Erza immediately let go, taking a few steps back and blushing a maddening red. Off to the side, Lucy had just appeared, also vehemently blushing.

"Ah, hello, Lucy," Strider said with a sigh. It seemed as though interruptions always abounded at just the most inopportune moment.

"ERZA!" Lucy yelled, aghast. She quickly shrunk as Erza glared menacingly at her. "Whoops. Ha. Sorry. Guess I… interrupted something important."

"Lucy…," Erza began dangerously, making the blonde gulp. Lucy quickly headed towards the camp, leaving Erza and Strider alone again. Erza opened her mouth to speak but quickly closed it, wondering what to say. Strider moved forward and cupped her cheek with a hand, much like she did for him. Gently, he swooped down and kissed her on the cheek, resting there for a moment before walking further inland. Erza brought a hand up to her cheek and felt the spot he had kissed. Cracking a smile, she quickly walked in Lucy's direction - both to reflect on what just happened and give the blonde a piece of her mind.

-o-

As Strider continued his walk, he soon ran into Cana who was smiling wide at him. As she saw him, she quickly hugged him tightly, burying her head into his chest as tears of happiness began to stream down her cheeks.

"Talk about a nice greeting," Strider chuckled as he hugged her back, his hands wrapped comfortably around his waist. Wiping her tears on his shirt, she leaned back slightly and looked up, still beaming.

"I told him," she whispered.

"Told who what?" Strider wondered.

"Gildarts. That… he's my dad," Cana said.

"He is?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Yeah. He never knew he had a daughter. Until now, at least. I'm so happy," Cana said, tears welling up again. Deciding not to press the point, Strider just pulled her in for another hug. She happily returned it, wrapping her arms around his neck as she pulled him as close as possible.

"Good. I'm happy for you," Strider whispered, kissing her on the cheek. Cana returned the favor, continuing to hold him. Finally, as they separated, he brought a hand to her cheek.

"How're you feeling, though? Better?" Strider asked worriedly.

"Much better," she answered.

"Good," was all Strider said. Wrapping her arms around one of his, they began walking, weaving through the trees.

"So Gildarts, huh? Pretty awesome dad you got," Strider said.

"A womanizer," Cana sighed; that was one aspect of her father she could do without.

"My kinda guy," Strider chuckled.

"Why am I not surprised?" Cana deadpanned.

"We all need companionship, especially on the road. But seriously, he's a badass. I don't know many people that could survive an attack by a dragon," Strider said.

"I guess. I was waiting until S-Class Trials ended, and if I won, I would've told him. But after everything that just happened, I figured… now was a good a time as any," Cana sighed.

"I assume Lucy convinced you? You went off with her a little while ago," Strider added.

"Mmm, yeah, a bit. It's weird… I thought that after I told him, there would've been this sudden shift. But… I don't feel like anything's changed," Cana said, melancholy.

"Give it some time to sink in. I'm sure it'll change soon enough. That said, _nothing_ might change. If that's the case, though, is it all that bad?" Strider wondered.

"I guess not. I love how it's always been, minus him not knowing. Now that he knows, it's like a huge weights been lifted," Cana said.

"I'm happy for you," Strider said.

"Thanks. How're you feeling, though? Lucy mentioned that you weren't too well," Cana frowned.

"I'm alright. An old injury has been flaring up, but it's feeling better now. Kind of sad that we won't get to end the trials, considering all the damage everyone has taken," Strider said, trying to shift subjects.

"Tell me about it. Hell, I found the grave as well," Cana grumbled.

"Really?" Strider asked in surprise.

"Mhm," Cana nodded.

"Aren't you going to fill me in? I won't have to work so hard next year, if I make it," Strider said.

"Already looking a year ahead?" she smirked.

"I've come to enjoy my time at Fairy Tail. Doubt I'd find better company elsewhere," Strider said.

"I doubt it as well. That said, I'm afraid that's for me to know and you to find out. Can't expect me to make it easy for you," Cana giggled.

"You're worse than Lucy. I almost had it as well," Strider grumbled.

"Ha. You'll live. Anyways, we should head back," Cana said.

"Indeed. After all, what will people say?" Strider said, winking at her. Cana blushed, resting her head on his shoulder as they headed back to base camp.

-o-

"COME ON GRAMPS, THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Natsu complained.

"I WAS THIS CLOSE TO KICKING SALAMANDER'S ASS!" Gajeel exclaimed.

"Calm down, Gajeel," Levy said placatingly.

"GRAMPS, COME ON! YOU KNOW HOW CLOSE I WAS TO FINDING THAT GRAVE!" Gray groaned.

"STRIDER! YOU'RE WITH US, RIGHT?! GRAMPS IS TRYING TO CANCEL THE TRIALS!" Elfman exclaimed.

"Oh, so you all want to continue this, eh?" Makarov thought, stroking his chin.

"YES!" Gray, Gajeel, Elfman, and Natsu roared.

"Very well, then. The first person that can defeat me automatically becomes S-Class," Makarov said. That was all Natsu needed. He went in for the attack - before Makarov's hand turned into a giant's hand and pummeled him into a tree.

"I was… so close," Natsu said, having lost all feeling.

"I would like to continue it as well, but considering all that's happened, I've no choice but to cancel," Makarov sighed. "Better luck next year, fellas."

"So unmanly," Elfman grumbled as he walked away.

"And where have _you two_ been?" Evergreen inquired of Cana and Strider.

"Making love in the forest, obviously," Strider said, taking a seat and sighing. He laughed as Evergreen and Cana blushed. The brunette shot him a look that he countered with a wink before resting against a rocky outcrop.

"Hey! That's my daughter you're talking about!" GIldarts complained.

"This coming from the guy that's slept with more women than I can recall," Cana grumbled.

"That… hmph," Gildarts groaned.

"Hey Strider, do you need any healing?" Wendy piped in.

"I'm good, Wendy, thank you. But perhaps you ought to get some rest?" Strider suggested.

"I'm fine! I want to help," Wendy said as she began working on Natsu. Adjacent to her, Erza sat down, wearing a sultry nurse getup. Crossing her legs, she looked at the others seductively.

"Alright gentlemen, whose up next? If you'll tell me where it hurts, I can decide whether I should take your temperature first or just give you an injection," she said.

"Huh. What does she think we are?" Gray asked.

"Like we'll fall for that," Gajeel agreed. A moment later, Wendy's line was empty and everyone had begun to line up for Erza. They soon regretted it as they found that Erza's medical experience was below zero.

"Should've stayed with the expert," Strider chuckled as Mira took a seat next to him again. "Feeling better?"

"Much better, thanks to Wendy," Mira said, flashing the young girl a charming smile. "We'll be spending the night on the island and leave in the morning."

"Sounds good to me. I bet it'll look amazing here tonight. Zero light pollution," Strider sighed as he looked up. The sun was already beginning to set, the watchful night beginning too soon take over.

"I haven't stargazed in a long time," Mira sighed.

"One of my favorite hobbies. Fight have to find a better vantage point, though. There are a few too many trees here," Strider grumbled, looking around.

"The beach, maybe?" Mira suggested.

"That's perfect," he replied.

"That's a great idea. Could probably catch something good to eat there as well. Let's go, everyone! We're making camp on the beach!" Makarov yelled. No one raised an argument; quickly, they packed up and began to make their way over there.

"I don't think we've been introduced. Strider," Strider said, extending his hand to the blond arrival.

"Laxus. You must be the new guy," he said.

"I am. Laxus? You're Master Makarov's grandson, then?" Strider wondered.

"That's me. Just got on the island when I felt something off," Laxus said.

"Felt?" Strider wondered.

"Can't explain it, really. Just… felt like I needed to be here for some reason," he sighed, rubbing his guild mark.

"Got it. Was good to have you," Strider said, clapping him on the back.

"Strider! Remove your hand from Laxus at once!" Freed suddenly exclaimed, blushing.

"I'm sorry?" Strider replied, raising an eyebrow but acquiescing all the same. Mira giggled and pulled Strider back a bit, letting Freed walk in stride with Laxus.

"Pretty sure Freed has a thing for him," Mira whispered in Strider's ear.

"Ah, got it. Like Natsu and Gray," Strider said wisely. Mira erupted into laughs before groaning, the laughing putting a strain on her stomach. "Ha. Easy there."

"It's your fault," she grumbled.

"If you want, I can carry you there," Strider suggested.

"What?" she blushed.

"You heard me," he whispered.

"I can handle it. Thanks for offering, though," she smiled.

"My loss," Strider shrugged, looking around. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another figure. Turning towards it, for a second, he saw what appeared to be a young girl with long, blonde hair wearing a frilly pink dress. Immediately, she was gone. Shrugging it off, he continued.

-o-

"Feeling alright, Juvia?" Strider wondered as the bluenette walked with him.

"Much better now, yes," she said, smiling at him.

"Happy to hear it. How'd your fight go, by the way?" he wondered.

"They… mmm…," Juvia said, looking down. She felt Strider put an arm around her, offering her a comforting smile.

"All that matters is that you're safe. Couldn't ask for a better outcome," he said kindly. Almost immediately, Juvia began to melt into a puddle at the touch.

"You better keep going. I'll help her," Lisanna giggled, pushing Strider ahead. "You ok, Juvia?"

"Touch… so… warm…," Juvia giggled happily.

-o-

As they reached the beach, Gildarts headed to a small outcrop to begin catching fishing while the others set up their new camp.

"Finally," Cana groaned as she laid down on the warm sand, letting it course through her fingers. The others began tot get comfortable as well, some opting to take a quick nap before the food was ready.

"This is nice," Lucy said as she came up beside Strider, smiling at him.

"Agreed. That said, I'm looking forward to heading home tomorrow. After all that fighting, I just want to see my bed again," Strider sighed.

"Planning on moving out of the guild anytime soon?" she wondered.

"When Master Makarov decides to evict me," Strider chuckled.

"Ugh… can't believe you're getting to stay there for free," Lucy grumbled.

"After that last job we pulled off, you should be set for a while. So long as you don't go wild on the frivolities, that is," Strider sighed.

"I promise I won't," Lucy whined.

"Good. Then again, maybe that'll mean can do another job together soon. That'd be just as nice," he said, dropping his voice a bit. Lucy blushed at the inflection, looking away for a second before returning her gaze to him.

"Strider! Come assist me! We're going to find some meat!" Erza called out. Winking at Lucy, Strider set out with Erza.

-o-

"What's edible on this island?" he wondered.

"According to the Master, all the large fauna can be eaten. There used to be a colony here, as I'm told, and they survived off the land. We should be able to make it until tomorrow," Erza said.

"Sounds good to me. Huh, maybe we can find that massive boar thing I flicked away earlier," Strider thought.

"Any of them will do. We should down a couple, just to be safe," Erza said.

"Might as well get one just for Natsu," Strider chuckled. "So what's the plan once we get back?"

"I think it's best if we all take a breather for a few days. We can go on a job after we're all recuperated," she said.

"Fine by me," Strider sighed.

"I imagine your shoulder could use some rest as well," Erza said.

"It'll be back to normal soon enough," Strider said, shaking his left arm a bit.

"I wanted to ask - the marks on your arms," she began.

"Torture," Strider said.

"Torture?" she asked, stunned.

"War, Erza. Not very pretty," Strider said grimly.

"Nonetheless," she trailed off, before stopping. She turned to him and looked him up and down, wondering if she should ask.

"No," Strider answered, having an inkling of what was on her mind. "I never needed to do that."

"I see. That's heartening to hear," she said, letting out a relieved sigh. She wasn't sure if she could reconcile the man that she knew now with the man he might've been, but knowing that he wasn't as cruel as many she had encountered relieved her quite a bit.

"Are you afraid of me?" he suddenly asked.

"What?" she replied, stunned by the question.

"Are you afraid of me?" he repeated. As she looked at him, she saw the warmth in his eyes was still there, but there was something harder as well.

"No," she answered without hesitation. Strider paused, simply looking at her for a while before finally nodding. "Why do you ask?"

"I simply assumed. I wouldn't blame you if you were, is all," he said. Strider stopped again, feeling her arm resting on his shoulder. As he turned to face her, Erza pulled him in for another hug, holding him tight against her as she pushed herself against him.

"I'm not. The opposite, in fact: I enjoy being around you," she whispered. She felt Strider put his arms around her again, inhaling her scent.

"Likewise," was all he said before rearing back a bit, looking at her. Much like what had happened before, the two leaned in until their heads were touching, lips separated by no more than a few inches. As Strider took the initiative and moved in a bit closer, Erza bit her lip in anticipation for what was going to happen.

A loud roar cut through the forest as a stomping headed towards them. Strider felt the fury wash off of Erza like a waterfall as she turned to face the beast that had just interrupted. Shifting into her Heavens Wheel armor, it happened before Strider could blink; the monster was cut down to size quickly, Erza standing victoriously on top of it as she began to grind her teeth.

 _'First Lucy, now this thing! UGH!'_ she thought. As another beast came from the forest and pelted towards her, Strider quickly launched forward. He made a quick kill of it, not pausing to flourish. With a sigh, he smiled at Erza.

 _'First Lucy with Cana, then Lucy with Erza, and Wendy with Mira… ugh, somethings working against me, I think,'_ he thought. Holding the monsters with his telekinesis, the two made their way back in silence.

 _'Two times. But… what'll happen after it happens? He obviously wants it to happen, I think. But Cana said that she and he… I suppose all of us… and he… ugh,'_ Erza sighed, rubbing her temples.

-o-

"You two took a while," Mira said, looking at Erza.

"We had to find something suitable to eat," she answered.

"Mhm," Mira replied, taking the meat and beginning to cook it.

"Aww man, I need a bed right about now," Bixlow complained.

"Natsu appears to be the exact opposite," Freed noted. The Fire Dragon Slayer was sprawled out over the sand, not noticing anything else. Stopping to chuckle at his behavior, Strider headed over to Wendy, who seemed to be on the brink of falling asleep as well.

"How're you keeping up, Wendy?" he asked.

"The child is about ready to pass out due to exhaustion," Carla sighed.

"I'm fine, Ca-a-a-rla!" she whined, the whine quickly becoming a yawn.

"I rest my case," Carla said.

"Why don't you get some rest? I'll wake you when the foods ready. Everyone seems to be doing alright, in no small part thanks to you," Strider said, ruffling her hair. Wendy smiled before nodding wistfully. Leaning against a rock, she began to doze off. Taking off his cloak, Strider draped it over here.

"You ought to get some rest as well, Carla," he said.

"I believe I'll take you up on that offer," she said, getting comfortable on her partners head. Rolling his neck a bit, Strider headed closer to the water, sitting on a rock and gazing out at the ocean. As he looked up, he smiled; it was a day like this one that he first landed on Ishgar.

 _'Barely been part of Fairy Tail for a few months and it feels like I've been here years,'_ he sighed.

"Thinking about something?" Lucy wondered, leaning against the rock as well.

"A few things. Mostly just how nice this all is," Strider said, nodding his head back at his guild mates.

"I'll say. At least the worst of it is over. Soon, we'll all be comfortable back at the guild," Lucy said.

-o-

Finally, on a full stomach, everyone was starting to get comfortably asleep. The ones who had taken the heaviest damage, including Freed, Bixlow, Laxus, Natsu, Gray, Gajeel, Elfman, and Evergreen fell asleep almost immediately. Wendy fell asleep quickly as well, exhausted from all the healing she had done. Cana, Lucy, Erza, and Mira were still mostly awake, looking up as the stars were shimmering brightly across the night sky. Strider sat on a small rock, deciding to keep watch over the others for the night.

"You can get some rest as well, child," Makarov said, coming up behind him.

"I'm fine, Master. Honestly, with a night like this, I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I tried. Look at that," Strider said with a bright smile, looking up. Makarov did so as well, sighing as he saw what he meant; constellations that one couldn't see due to all the light pollution in Magnolia ignited across the sky. Stars burned across the black background, distant yet attainable; full of wonders and excitement, new roads yet to be traveled.

"I can see why Master Mavis was so fond of this island," Makarov said with a gentle smile of his own. Clapping Strider on the shoulder, he quickly got settled down as well, although continued to look up, tracing constellations here and there.

 _'Menelmacar, the swordsman,'_ Strider thought, tracing three stars that made up the belt of the figure. He continued to pass the time by tracing more stars across the sky. A few hours later, sure everyone was asleep, Strider opened his pocket dimension and pulled out his pipe. Igniting some pipe-weed within, he took a deep draw and exhaled comfortably, the sweet smell wafting over and ticking some of the noses. Quietly, he began to sing in a different tongue.

 _"I nimwaloth i bain a phant,_

 _I laiss in end calen nadhras,_

 _A egennir galad vin lant_

 _En elin vi uialthiliol_

 _Tinúviel i lilthas ias_

 _Na lind o *simp dholen a brand,_

 _A vi finnil dîn glîn ennas,_

 _A vi chammad dîn míriol._

 _Nu laiss Beren erui padas,_

 _Ab aegais ring dad túliel,_

 _Ennas i elduin sirias_

 _Ho nûr a erui reniol_

 _Min laiss en-gwaloth tíriel_

 _Glinthant 'lassui mellys ennas_

 _Na choll a rainc dîn derthiel_

 _Sui esgal finnil dîn aphadol"_

Still awake, Mira, Erza, Cana, and Lucy soon heard what he was saying. They listened intently, trying to make heads or tails of what he was saying, but it was unrecognizable. Despite that, the words and rhythm brought them a sense of comfort as well as excitement - for his homeland and what else might there.

 _'That sounds so pretty,'_ Lucy thought.

 _'Didn't know he could sing,'_ Cana said, turning a bit so she could look at him.

 _'I wonder what he's singing about?'_ Mira wondered.

 _"I lûth nestant i dail naegrol,_

 _Berthennin dhyl athreviad;_

 _Agamp geleg ho vell, bragol,_

 _Mabant ithildim thiliol._

 _Trî 'aladhremmin eldorath,_

 _He dregas fair na dail lilthol,_

 _Awarthant Beren reniad,_

 _Erui vi daur dhínen lastol._

Erza soon fell asleep, letting his voice carry her to her dreams.

 _Sui laiss dulus i thail ellint,_

 _Lastant ennas lhyss reviol,_

 _A vi imlaid thyrin i lind,_

 _Ennas eithelui tuiol._

 _Si *nimwaloth i tharn, thinnol,_

 _a thloss ab loss vin chelch thind,_

 _laiss e-mrethil vi daur dharthol,_

 _hain sui gwilwileth sí dannol._

Slowly, Lucy and Cana drifted asleep, smiles on their lips.

 _Ún chir hen revias palan_

 _Erin laiss caedennin ennas,_

 _Nu 'ilgalad a nui gúran_

 _Vi menel edhring míriol._

 _Nu ithildim coll dîn tinnas_

 _Sui caw amon, haeron a brann_

 _Nadail dîn peliol, lilthas_

 _I chîth gelebren hwiniol,"_ Strider said, exhaling once more. As he looked around, he found that Mira was looking directly at him. Four verses still left to go, he decided to cut it short for now.

"Still awake?" he whispered, sitting close to her.

"Yeah. I really wanted to hear how that ended," she replied, tracing a finger on his knee.

"I'm afraid my voice isn't as silvery as yours," he said.

"It's passable," she winked. "That wasn't our language, though."

"Nope. It's one of the tongues I picked up back home," he said.

"It sounds beautiful. What's it about?" she wondered.

"It's a long tale and I still haven't finished singing the song. I'll tell you about it on the ride home. How's that sound?" he wondered.

"Sounds perfect to me. Mmm… good night, Strider," she whispered.

"Sweet dreams, Mira," he replied, giving her a soft kiss on her forehead before taking his seat again. With a pleasant smile on her lips and a rosy blush on her cheeks, Mira soon fell asleep.

-o-

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP NOW!" they heard Strider and Gildarts roar. Bleary eyed, everyone grumbled as they began to do so. They sun was already high in the sky, with some noting a slight black blot against the sky.

"W-what's going on, guys? It's still so early," Natsu grumbled.

"NOW! DRAGON!" Strider roared, his voice carrying over the island itself. Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel immediately snapped to as they began looking around wildly before setting their eyes above at the black blot, which was circling over them.

"No way," Natsu said weakly, eyes wide.

"It's really… a dragon," Gajeel whispered. The others soon snapped awake as way, their eyes unbelieving as they watched it fly overhead. With a snakelike head that ended in rows of sharp teeth, blue tribal markings, and a jet black body, it flew effortlessly over the island, as though sizing up its surroundings. Opening its jaws wide, the dragon let out a might roar that forced most of them to cover their ears. It soon ripped towards the ground, causing a small seismic event as it landed, snarling at the others.

"That's the bastard," Gildarts groaned.

"Where's the ship?!" Strider asked.

"A mile down the beach," Gildarts said.

"Take them and run," Strider said, withdrawing his sword.

"You can't fight this thing. Look at what it did to me," Gildarts said.

"I've experience with dragons. Take them and go! RUN! RUN NOW!" Strider yelled to everyone.

"I have to ask him wh-," Natsu began before Strider telekinetically threw him into Gildarts arms. Gildarts squeezed him tightly and roared at the others to follow. All but Makarov and Strider did, their eyes tracing the dragon.

"Master-," Strider began before he was cut off.

"I will not let him attack my children - any of them. If that means that he wants a fight, that a fight is what he'll get," Makarov said as he activated his magic. Strider looked on, stunned as Master Makarov began to grow to gigantic proportions, glowing a light yellow.

"Wow," he whispered. He quickly refocused himself on the fight, looking sideways at his sword.

 _'I need you to obey me. You'll have your fill soon,'_ he thought to his sword, which vibrated in agreement.

-o-

"Strider!" Mira shrieked, looking back.

"Master!" Erza yelled, stopping as well.

"Gildarts, we can't leave them!" Natsu screamed. The others were mostly to terrified to react; words didn't exist that could properly convey their fear.

"You don't understand, Natsu! This isn't a fight we can win! We have to run - now!" Gildarts yelled, shaking Natsu violently. Natsu grimaced as he looked back; the dragon was circling Makarov and Strider, who had begun their attack. As the others looked back, they saw that Strider had begun uprooting trees telekinetically, sending them towards the dragon. Instead of rebounding them off his scales, however, he focused on forcing them in the mouth. The mass of trees soon began to have an effect, forcing the jaw open wider and wider. They heard sickening crunches as the scales around mouth began to crunch under the force. The dragon let out a scream of pain before it let out a powerful roar, spewing the trees out and looking at Strider with anger.

"Acnologia…," Gildarts gulped.

-o-

"ARGH!" Makarov grunted as he locked Acnologia in a test of strength. He had the dragons neck in a choke but the snakelike length gave it leverage to bit Makarov on one of his enlarged biceps. Slightly distracted, Strider went straight for one of the beady, black eyes. He sliced across it with his sword, eliciting a roar of pain as fluid began to seep out. As he attempted to slice at the scales, however, he found his attack rebuffed; they were extremely tough.

 _'Damn it!'_ he thought, going for a few more strikes, each as useless as the last. _'Going to have to rethink my strategy.'_

As Master Makarov attempted to punch the dragon, he found his attacks had almost no effect, much like Striders sword. They simply bounced off of the tough hide. Acnologia went in to bite Makarov but was soon rebuffed as Strider threw a massive boulder in his mouth. Struggling to close it, Acnologia force his mouth close nonetheless, shattering the boulder in thousands of tiny pieces.

"Even if it may kill me, I will not let you bring harm to my children!" Makarov roared, bringing his fist all the way back and rocketing it right into Acnologia's face, on the side where Strider cut into the eye. Fluid erupted from the eye as Acnologia reared and roared in pain, partially blinded. As Makarov and Strider considered their next move, they suddenly heard yells from behind. Their hearts fell as the rest of the team had turned around and decided to make their last stand, for better or worse.

 _'Fools,'_ Makarov thought, grinding his teeth.

-o-

As everyone was locked in combat with the dragon, a young girl with green eyes, wavy blonde hair, and a pink dress watched the scene unfold with a tender smile. She could sense the love and power that was pouring out like a waterfall from these people that were fighting side by side against a most terrible enemy. Clasping her hands together, she began to pray.

-o-

As Acnologia reared his has, they saw that he was preparing to unleash another defeating roar. With how injured everyone still was, only a couple were able to fight at their best - but even then, their chances would be nil.

Freed and Levy knew that there was only one thing left to do now - they had to focus on protection.

"Freed!" Levy yelled.

"Right!" he replied.

"Feed and I are going to try to set up a barrier to protect us from the attack, but we need more energy!" Levy yelled to everyone.

"Everyone, hold hands! Focus all of your Magic on Freed and Levy!" Makarov roared as he shrunk down and took Gildarts and Laxus's hands. Everyone immediately did as he asked, joining hands. Erza and Mira each grabbed Striders hand, closing their eyes as they began to focus. As Mira glanced at him, though, she saw that Strider was shifting uncomfortably.

"Strider?" she asked fearfully. Slowly, Strider turned to look at her, giving her a small, chilling smile.

 _'They need more time,'_ he thought. Stepping back, he locked Erza and Mira's hands together, holding everyone in place telekinetically so they couldn't break formation. Everyone looked on in horror as Strider erupted into the sky, cratering the ground below, and flew directly at Acnologia. Using his telekinesis to propel him at the speed of a bullet, Strider held his sword at an angle and jutted across Acnologia's side. The sheer speed and angle were able to find their mark; a small, but deep, gash appeared across the neck of the dragon, who stopped to focus on Strider. It took flight, looking to attack him but Strider kept diving this way and that, making sure the focus was completely on him as opposed to the others. Acnologia and Strider continued their fight in the sky while the others continued to look on, tears in their eyes. Mira, Erza, Lucy, and Cana tried as hard as they could to get free, but the telekinesis holding them in place was to strong; they could little but watch.

Strider tore forward in the sky, cutting Acnologia across the tender wounds that he had opened on either side of his mouth. The flesh was slightly exposed there, thanks to the trees forcing it open so much; he cut across the cartilage, evoking more cries of pain. Suddenly, the tail came up. Strider hardly had a chance to defend; he was able to raise his sword, but found his body buffeted back towards the island. Looking up, he saw Acnologia open his mouth yet again. A hyper beam of fire jutted forth, connecting directly with his body. The sword was able to bear the brunt of the attack, vibrating in excitement as it lapped up the flames greedily. The plume of fire kept on coming. Strider braced himself for impact against the land, hoping the others had put up a barrier, but the ground never came. To his shock, he landed directly in the water. Forcing his eyes open, he looked around in a panic but saw only water; Tenrou Island was gone.

-o-

His panicked searches revealed nothing. All he felt was the slightest trace of magic, but he doubted even that; his senses felt off kilter. There were only three things that he felt, that he was sure of: one, his shoulder was burning in a way he had never felt before; two, Tenrou Island was gone - and with it, Mira, Erza, Cana, Lucy, Juvia, Lisanna, Evergreen, Levy, Wendy Carla, Elfman, Gildarts, Laxus, Gray, Gajeel, Makarov, Freed, Bixlow, Natsu, and Happy; and third, the vibrations of his sword. It knew that Strider encountered something big and powerful. It took all of his willpower to control the rage that wanted to raise his sword and slice the world in half. Cracking his neck and grinding his teeth, he looked at the receding black dot in the sky. He erupted towards it, only one thing on his mind. As the thoughts raged across his mind, another voice was brought to the fore.

 _'You cannot think like that. You know the dragon would've come regardless. At least now, you have a chance to make sure it doesn't ever wreak that havoc again. But remember, Strider. Remember your promise,'_ the gentle and peaceful voice said to him. Strider felt a shiver go down his spine as he recalled it.

-o-

Strider followed the black dragon back to Ishgar, flying high above so no one would trace his presence. Keeping a significant distance from the dragon, he focused on bringing his senses back to ahead and preparing himself for what was to come. The dragon flew through the night before finally, it landed in a mountainous region. Strider kept to the air for several hours, taking a meditative position as he began to concentrate all his power. He let his love for his new friends and the hate for the dragon flow through him, making sure to keep it reined within himself so the dragon wouldn't sense it. After what felt like days, he finally lowered himself to the ground. As he twirled the sword within his hands, it began to vibrate again.

"Soon," Strider whispered. Getting on his knees in the valley, he began to wait. He would have Acnologia come to him, not the other way around.

-o-

It was only a couple of hours until Strider felt another presence. Rising from his knees, he slowly turned to see a man approaching him. He had a muscular physique, covered in tribal tattoos. His wild white hair was all sprawled all around him and he wore dark pants and a black cape. His good eye was narrowed as he focused on Strider, who returned his cold gaze.

"I don't have time for you," Acnologia said as he suddenly moved towards Strider at an immense speed. To his surprise, however, he stopped a foot from attacking. Acnologia had to look up to match the Wizards eyes. Strider brought up a hand and viciously slapped him into the rock. Staggered, Acnologia soon got to his feet again. Wiping his cheek, he saw some blood - to his immense surprise.

"You must be Acnologia - the dragon that attacked Tenrou Island a few days ago," Strider said in a calm and level voice.

"I am," Acnologia replied, spitting some blood. "You were there?"

"I put the trees in your mouth. Looks like the wound hasn't healed. Nor has your eye," Strider said, noting the scars and the milky eye. Acnologia let out a low snarl, caressing the scars - the first he had received in a long time.

"No," Acnologia replied.

"I suppose that's good for me. You can imagine why I'm here," Strider said, twirling the sword in his hands. It began to vibrate yet again, drawing his gaze.

"That sword," Acnologia muttered.

"This sword is special - for me in particular, and for its history. It was forged to deal with beasts like you," Strider said, looking at the black blade before turning to Acnologia. "I had a talk with a dragon a few months ago. He mentioned you took pleasure in killing dragons hundreds of years ago."

"I did," Acnologia answered simply.

"You must be pretty powerful. It's not easy to kill a dragon," Strider mused.

"And you would know this how?" Acnologia inquired.

"I've had to deal with a couple in my time," Strider said, gently rubbing the left side of his face. As Acnologia smelled the air, he raised an eyebrow.

"I smell dragonfire," he said.

"I imagine you do," Strider said.

"Where's the wound?" he wondered.

"You don't need to see it. Now, I've one more question. Where are the dragons Igneel, Metallicana, and Grandina?" Strider wondered.

"No idea," Acnologia said.

"Fine. I'll pry the truth from you one way or another. Well, shall we get down to it, lizard?" Strider asked scathingly. Acnologia snarled but was quickly pulled forward by Striders telekinesis. Strider grabbed on to his cape and head butted him, tearing it off. "The last dragon I slew was much larger than you. A real bastard. That said, your hide is strong - that much I know. I'm going to enjoy breaking it. Don't try to run, lizard. There's no place in this world I won't find you. Especially not after what you did."

"I thought you wizards abhorred killing?" Acnologia spat.

"I consider this a culling," Strider said, kneeing him in the temple and sending him back. He waited for Acnologia to draw himself to full height, a terrifying expression on his face. He let out a large roar as his body began to transform. Scoffing, Strider simply waited for him to finish. With the others, he had to make sure they were safe. Now, however, he had nothing but time.

Acnologia stamped hard on the ground and let out a might roar, fixing his gaze on Strider. Strider turned his sword over in his hand a few times before finally looking at it.

 _'Almost time for a meal. Have your fill, Anglachel,'_ he thought. Anglachel shivered excitedly in Strider's hand, eager for the blood of the dragon.


	15. The Dragon Slayer

Seven long years had passed since the events that transpired on Tenrou Island. Guilds across Fiore were devastated by the news of the loss, particularly Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale. They searched high and low for months for even the slightest trace, but it revealed nothing. Even until now, they continued a latent search - and would do so for however long it might take. Every nook and cranny, every island, was searched; but nothing, not even debris, was left. IT was as though the entire island had simply vanished.

No one was hit harder than Fairy Tail itself. They lost their best and brightest, as well their Master. Each day was a bit more painful than the last they remembered all the good times they had had with their friends. Every now and then, someone would break into tears as they recalled what had happened that fateful day. Several ships were chartered and the guild veritably swam tens of miles in any direction they could think of, looking for the slightest trail that would rekindle hope. Eventually, even hope began to drift away.

-o-

It was another downtrodden day at Fairy Tail. As Macao looked out the window, he sighed wistfully; the sun was shining, but it wasn't enough to lift the spirits of the guild hall. Suddenly, the doors burst open. Standing there were some of the people that they had confided their sorrows in - the Trimens of Blue Pegasus, Ren, Hibiki, and Eve; and their flamboyant sensei, Ichiya.

"My friends! Lift your moods at once! The parfum has spoken!" Ichiya said dramatically. Macao noted that the others were smiling; he immediately shot to his feet, his heart beating faster than he could ever recall it.

"What? What does that mean? What is it?" he asked in an urgent voice.

"I was doing some continued research on the ethernano levels in the area where Tenrou Island disappeared. I've been monitoring them continually for a while now…," Hibiki began. Everyone in the guild was quiet, hoping against hope. Bisca slammed her hands on the table as she rose, piercing the arrivals with her eyes.

 _'Is it…?'_ she thought.

"… And the levels around where the island was have skyrocketed," Hibiki finished, smiling at everyone.

"What does that mean?!" Macao asked, feeling tears begin to well up in his eyes - as they often did for the past seven years.

"It means that we should head over there - immediately. We've already got ships ready and waiting," Hibiki said, waving his hand at the door.

"Jet! Droy! Alzack! Bisca!" Macao roared to the others.

"On it!" Bisca yelled back, quickly grabbing the others and heading towards the port with the others. As they left, Macao collapsed on the chair, head in his hands.

 _'God, please let this be true. I'll do anything. Anything,'_ he thought, tears beginning to fall. Wakaba came up behind him, resting a hand on his shoulder as he nodded.

-o-

"What're you thinking?" Droy asked Bisca. Everyone had changed the last several years. Droy had put on several pounds, while Bisca had matured well, becoming a mother; Alzack didn't brood as much, keeping his hair spiked upwards as opposed to falling around his head; Macao's hair had started to white and he wore a mustache; while Wakaba grew out a beard (although still kept his smoking habit; Nab had grown a goatee; while Kinana had matured in the same fashion as Bisca; Max had grown his hair out a bit longer; Romeo had joined the guild; and Vijeeter began to wear more traditional clothing.

"I don't know. I don't know anything," Bisca replied, staring ahead in the distance.

"Seven years," Alzack sighed.

"Tell me about it. Lots changed," Bisca mused sadly. Her thoughts soon drifted to a particular Fairy she had struck up a quick friendship with. She wondered if he would be there as well? And how would he react to her new status as a single mother?

"They've gotta be there," Jet said fiercely. The others looked at him before looking ahead. As the ship neared closer to the destination, they felt a bit of dread as they saw nothing. Suddenly, however, Bisca spotted something.

"There, floating in the water!" she yelled. As their eyes drifted, they saw a young girl with flowing blonde hair, green eyes, and a pink dress - about Wendy's age. She smiled at the ship before turning around, heading further away.

"Hey, wa-!" Droy began before the ship started to rumble. They were joined by the Trimens who looked on in awe as they something begin to rise out of the water. Slowly, but sure, a massive island began to roar above the water, sending waves every which way as its surfaced continued to jut higher. Bisca saw the Fairy Tail guild symbol on top of a golden dome that ensconced the island. In the middle was a notable, massive tree.

"Is that…?" Ren began weakly.

"Tenrou Island," Bisca whispered. The rumbling finally grinded to a halt as the dome began to flutter away. They saw the girl hovering above the water, turning to look at them before turning and heading to the shore. The ship quickly followed.

"Jet, go!" Bisca ordered.

"On it!" Jet yelled, following the girl as fast as he could. Even so, she was moving at a speed that he thought unattainable. He followed her deep into the forest before stopping, looking around.

"I could'-," he began before his eyes widened. Sticking out of the stand was what appeared to be a figure, a white, scaly scarf hanging out.

"No way," Jet whispered, rooted to the spot. The others soon caught up with him, eyes wide as they saw what he was looking at. The figure finally pulled free from the sand, looking around wildly.

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Natsu roared, looking wildly from side to side. It wasn't long until he was tackled to the ground by two ecstatic friends, both of whom cried over his return.

"NATSU!" Droy and Jet said shrilly.

"Hey, what're you guys doing here?! And Droy! Why're you so… fat?!" Natsu exclaimed, taking in their appearances.

"Natsu!" they exclaimed again, hugging their friend.

"Where are the others?" Bisca asked, her hopes higher than they had ever been.

"Over here," they heard a soft, silvery voice say. It was the young girl, smiling brightly at them. She began to lead them to various points on the island where slowly, but surely, they found the rest of the Tenrou Island team. They all seemed to be in a daze - but most amazingly, they had not aged a single day.

"Wh-what the hell happened?!" Gray exclaimed, rubbing his head as they all congregated. He hugged Jet and Droy back, happy to see the.

"We were all attacked by that dragon and… and… I don't know," Juvia answered, rubbing her head.

"I was able to protect you all," the little girl said again.

"My word… First Master?" Makarov asked in awe. Their heads snapped towards the little girl, who continued to smile - a smile that never seemed to turn otherwise, they thought.

"You saved us?" Erza asked.

"No, you saved yourselves. The bonds you've all created, the friendships you've formed, and the love you have for each other. Those are what saved you. I was merely able to give it a form. You have all been inside the Fairy Sphere for the last seven years. It's one of Fairy Tail's Three Grand Spells. All those that wear the mark of our guild are protected from all matter of evil," she said, proudly surveying the group. "You've done well."

"Thank you, Master Mavis," Makarov said, bowing.

"Wait…," a voice suddenly said. Everyone turned to look at Wendy, who was looking around wildly, tears in her eyes.

"What is it, Wendy?" Natsu wondered.

"Strider," she replied. Everyone felt their heart fall at that. They immediately ripped away from the group, beginning to search and call out for the Wizard all around the island. The search continued for hours until they had covered every nook and cranny.

"Strider?" Mavis wondered as they all came together.

"The newest member of our guild," Makarov said, sweating bullets as he felt sick to his stomach. The last thing he remembered was craning his head up, watching Strider locked in battle with the dragon.

"The one with the sword and black clothes?" Mavis inquired.

"You've seen him?!" Lucy shrieked tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," Mavis whispered.

"W-what do you mean?" Mira asked, eyes wide as her body began to shiver. She felt as though her heart had been torn out and crushed. Tears quickly began to fall from her eyes, as they did for everyone. Not even the hardiest of the guild were spared. Lisanna quickly hugged her older sister, burying her head into her side; while Wendy held on tightly to Carla; Lucy and Erza looked down, while Cana was just staring wide-eyed at Mavis. Bisca's hands were over her mouth as she felt a shot of pain through her heart. Natsu, Happy, and Gray sat with their hands on their head, while Evergreen held on to Juvia; Levy cried onto Gajeel, while the others simply looked down, unable to think of anything to say.

"I saw him fly after the dragon. He was out of the range of the Fairy Sphere to protect him. The last I recall, he was fighting Acnologia. I don't know what happened to either of them, though," Mavis said, feeling her own sorrow grow.

"He sacrificed… himself…," Gildarts sighed.

"No way!" Natsu suddenly yelled. Everyone looked at him as he had a fire in his eyes. "Come on! This is _Strider_ we're talking about! I don't buy for one second he's gone! Erza, Gray, Lucy, Wendy! You know how strong he is!"

"Natsu…," Gildarts began.

"I DON'T WANNA HEAR IT! He has to be alive!" Natsu declared. No one had the heart to argue. Slowly, they began to make their way to the ship.

-o-

As Cana got to a private room on the ship, she broke down on the bed. Her tears began to flow out like a river through a burst dam.

"Damn it! And I… had just told…," she cried, remembering how happy she was before the attack. She had told Gildarts that he was her father and their relationship was looking up; before that, she had almost had her first kiss. Now, she didn't know what to think.

-o-

 _'Idiot,'_ Mira thought, her head in her hands as she replayed the events through her mind. Strider had joined her and Erza's hands together before he flew up to distract Acnologia. She felt a sudden pang of guilt in her stomach; what if he hadn't done that? Would they all be dead now?

"Mira," came a soft voice through the door. Lisanna entered, tears streaming down her face as well. Without another word, Lisanna sat next to her sister and rested her head on his shoulder. Whatever Mira would say, Lisanna knew that there was something between the new Fairy and her eldest sibling.

-o-

Erza couldn't remember when she had cried this much before. She wondered if it happened during the Tower of Heaven? She doubted it; if she had to say, she hadn't cried this much since she left that accursed place. Twice, she had almost connected passionately with Strider; both attempts were foiled for one reason or another.

 _'Natsu is almost always wrong. But please… please, let him be right about this,'_ she thought, her voice shuddering as she breathed. Again, the tears began to flow.

-o-

"I can't believe it," Lucy said listlessly as she looked out the window. As she sat in a chair, Wendy was crying on the bed, holding the cloak that Strider had draped over the night before as tightly as she could. Carla gently rubbed her head in condolence. Every interaction between Wendy and Strider appeared to be one of a little sister interacting with a big brother. Finally, Carla though, Wendy had someone to look up to.

As she looked at Lucy, she saw silent tears streaming down her face. Lucy said nothing else, just staring ahead as her mind was awash with pain.

-o-

"Juvia?" a red-eyed Levy said, entering the bluenette's room. Juvia didn't turn to acknowledge her, just looking ahead. Levy put her arms around her, giving her a tight hug. While Juvia didn't return it, Levy could tell she was grateful.

-o-

Bisca sat with her head in her hands. She pulled out a gun and stared at it; it was the same one that she had showed him when they had their first conversation. She wanted to ask him when he got back if he wanted to go shooting with her; now, she thought she would never get the chance.

 _'I wonder what he'd think of Aska?'_ she thought, forcing a small smile as she saw the two playing around with each other. Immediately, the smile contorted into a pained one as she began to cry anew.

-o-

"You're all very fond of this Strider," Mavis said sadly as she entered Makarov's room. The old man was sitting on the floor, staring at it. As he noticed her come in, he slowly got to his feet and bowed, unable to feel the spring that was usually in his step.

"He was our newest member. Prolific, as wizards go, First Master," Makarov said.

"What kind of man was he?" Mavis wondered. As Makarov thought about an answer, he began to laugh a bit, surprising Mavis.

"Kind and powerful. Charming is probably the word some of the girls would use, though. Maybe to mature for our guild," he said, letting out a small laugh. Mavis managed a small giggle at his reaction before sitting down on the bed, thinking of Strider. She felt as though she had sensed his Magic on the island, before the attack by Acnologia.

-o-

"We'll pay you when we can," Macao told Fairy Tail's lenders. Twilight Ogre, a smaller guild, had lent considerable money to Fairy Tail to keep them operating. They had taken to destroying the guild in the past years, knowing that they couldn't fight back.

"You'll pay us now o-," one of the guild members got out before a vicious kick sent him rocketing across the hall. Everyone looked to see who had come and as they came into view, everyone gasped.

"No way," Macao said weakly.

"Hey, what's th-," another one of the Twilight Ogres began before he was roughly taken by the cuff and thrown outside. The newly returned Tenrou team had begun the process of clearing out the chuff.

"And don't come back!" Laxus yelled at the heap of Ogres.

"You're back!" Wakaba yelled, embracing Natsu. Natsu returned the hug, but Wakaba soon picked up on something.

"You guys are forgetting someone, though. Where's Strider?" he wondered. Gildarts shook his head, confirming their worst fears. Everyone quickly found a seat, putting their head down for their fallen comrade.

"What happened?" Macao finally asked.

"We were attacked by Grimoire Heart and then by Acnologia," Makarov sighed.

"The dragon?" a shocked Wakaba asked.

"That's right. Strider bought us enough time to help cast powerful defensive spell," Makarov said. They saw little drops begin to form below his head.

"He…?" Wakaba gulped.

"We think so," Makarov said.

"Think?" Macao asked.

"He's formidable. If there's… even the smallest chance," Makarov said.

"If he was, wouldn't he come back, though?" Bisca frowned.

"I don't know, child. I… just don't know," Makarov said.

Cana continued to look at the card as she had done for the last several hours; until she was certain no reply would come, she would not be parted from it. She hadn't told anyone else yet, not wanting to get their hopes up only to have them dashed.

"Wh… what do we do now?" Gray asked. No one had an answer.

"You guys get some rest first. We… can figure out the rest later," Macao said. The others agreed and slowly began to file out, hearts heavy.

-o-

"Seven fucking years," Gildarts sighed, head in hands.

"I know," Makarov nodded as he smoked a pipe.

"What Natsu said about Strider," Gildarts began, looking at Makarov. The old man saw the hope that was kindling in the Ace's eyes.

"I don't know myself. He's an exceptional Wizard, but against a dragon… well, you know better than most what that's like," Makarov sighed.

"Maybe so, but he's from a completely different place. Just because we can't deal with them, doesn't mean they can't," Gildarts said.

"I hope you're right. I want you to be right," Makarov said.

"Seven years. And it doesn't even feel like it's been seven hours to me," Gildarts scoffed.

"Fairy Sphere is a potent spell. But as with all the Grand Fairy Spells, there are consequences," Makarov said, looking at his hand.

"Have you told the others?" Gildarts asked seriously.

"No. And you won't either," Makarov answered sharply.

"I know, I know. Still, don't use it if you can help it. Especially not now," Gildarts said.

"I know. Huh… I wonder what happened to the others?" Makarov wondered.

"Precht and them?" Gildarts asked.

"Indeed. Only those with our guild mark are protected by Fairy Sphere. While he _was_ a member, he renounced it a long time ago," Makarov said.

"Maybe he was caught in the attack?" Gildarts said.

"I don't know. The authorities had picked them up, I believe, but it was close to when we were attacked. I'll have to check in soon," Makarov said.

"Did he ever say why he was there?" Gildarts asked.

"They were looking for Zeref," Makarov answered.

"Zeref? Seriously?" Gildarts asked.

"That's what he told me," Makarov frowned. "Whether he was there, I can't say."

"Maybe he was just rambling," Gildarts shrugged.

"Precht is many things, but foolish is not one of them," Makarov said.

"If that was the case, he wouldn't have attacked us, Master. He should know that better than anyone," Gildarts said, managing a small smile.

-o-

Cana's eyes widened as she suddenly came across a card she had all but forgotten. On his second night in Fairy Tail, she had given him a gift after he walked her home; a call card with her contact imbued in it. In her hand, she held the lifeline. It had his face on it, smiling up at her as it gently shifted across the page.

 _'There's no other way,'_ she thought. She brought the card to her lips and whispered to it.

"Strider. We're alive. We're back. We need you," she said, tears coming down again. She put the card down, hoping, wishing, praying, that he would get the message.

-o-

It hit him like the weight of Ancalagon's roar. It was a sound that he never thought that he would hear again; only in his dreams did he hear it. Cana. She was back. That meant only one thing to him - Mira, Erza, Lucy, Juvia, Wendy, Carla, Levy, Evergreen, Lisanna, Natsu, Happy, Gray, Laxus, Gildarts, Makarov, Elfman, Freed, Bixlow, and Gajeel - they were back. He shot up from his throne, looking to the massive figure on his right side before looking at the card that Cana had given him. He didn't have many things from his stay in Magnolia, but he kept two things close to his person at all times; the guild mark on his wrist, and the card.

"Glaedr," he said.

"Strider?" the golden scaled dragon inquired, opening an eye. His body had recovered impressively over the last seven years, his scales shining brighter than ever.

"It's them. They're back," Strider said, his voice breathless. Glaedr opened his other eye and looked on in surprise. He knew the stories; all that Strider trusted knew the stories.

"Impossible. I thought they fell?" Glaedr said.

"I thought so as well. But there's no mistaking her voice. It's the same as it was seven years ago. She's back. They're all back," Strider said.

"What do you intend to do?" Glaedr asked.

"I can't waste any time. Inform Ancalagon," Strider said.

"Hmph. When he wakes up in a few months, perhaps," Glaedr said, before he smiled - or as close as to a smile a dragon could muster. "Go. Enjoy, my friend. But do not tarry extensively. We have work to do."

Strider exploded with the force of a bomb, cratering the room he was in almost completely. As he erupted from the south face of the mountain, a tall peak began to crumble, crashing into the ground below. The event caused a small earthquake in the realm they inhabited, felt miles away. Hoping against hope, Strider ripped across the sky at a speed that burned his hair. He created a sonic boom as he rushed faster and faster, further and further. As night had fallen, he let the stars illuminate the path for him. He had never felt such desperation to get somewhere before.

-o-

The days had continued to drone on and the mood in the guild was listless. Blue Pegasus insisted on a celebration and had left to go plan it, but no one at Fairy Tail felt like celebrating - until they suddenly felt the guild rock to its foundation.

"What's that?!" Natsu exclaimed. He rushed out ahead of the others. As Erza came up, she bumped into him. She was about to scold him for his abrupt stop until she saw the reason. As they others came up, they had the same look of shock and disbelief.

Standing as surely as he always did was their thought-to-be-lost comrade. He wore a cloak similar to the one that he had first worn when he came to Fairy Tail. On his hip was the same sword they had always seen. And even seven years later, Strider hardly looked as though he had aged a day; the stubble was still there, the hair still reached the tips of his shoulders, albeit was smoldering; and his gaze still had that warmth they remembered. No one moved a muscle; no one said a word; no one dared to be the first to do anything.

His eyes twinkled brightly as they passed over each and every one of his friends that he thought he had lost on that fateful day seven years prior. They rested a bit longer here and there, boring into eyes that he had particularly missed seeing. To his surprise, not only did they still look like he remembered them; but they had not aged a single day!

Finally, someone broke through. Tears streaming down her cheeks, Mira began walking towards him. Strider soon closed the difference, bringing her in for a particularly tight hug. She returned it in full force, her arms wrapped so tightly around his neck that he was almost suffocating.

 _'It's her. It's them,'_ Strider thought, feeling her warmth envelop him. He felt a swell in his heart that hadn't been there for close to a decade - and for the first time in seven years, he felt complete happiness; security; and glee. A few seconds later, Strider felt more arms begin to wrap around him; Lucy buried her head in his side, silently crying, while Erza squeezed him and Mira closer together; Cana took the other side, her wailing audible to everyone.

"STRIDER!" Natsu finally yelled, breaking the silence. It wasn't long until they had piled on to the Fairy, taking him to the ground as they got their hugs and kisses in.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Happy cried out, hugging his head particularly tightly.

"YOU'RE BACK!" Wendy sobbed, squeezing between two of the girls and holding him around the waist. Strider made sure to get every one of them - everyone that he hadn't seen over the course of the last seven years.

"YES! TEAM NATSU IS BACK IN ACTION, BABY!" Natsu screeched, letting a tremendous plume of flame fly from his mouth.

"I thought you were dead," Lucy cried.

"Woah, woah - everyone! Let the man breathe, at least!" Gildarts said, grinning wide. No one paid any attention to him as they kept going.

"THAT'S RIGHT! REAL MEN DON'T DIE!" Elfman yelled.

"WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT NONSENSE RIGHT NOW!" Evergreen retorted, smacking him although smiling as she did it.

"Welcome back, welcome back," Bixlow's tiki dolls chanted as they flew around him. Makarov was off to the side, smiling happily as a few tears fell loose.

 _'We made it. We all made it,'_ he thought.

Finally getting back to his feet, everyone began to head inside.

"It's good to see you again, child," Makarov said, bringing up the rear with Strider.

"You have no idea, Master," Strider said, his voice the same as well.

"I assume you know what I'm going to ask?" Makarov said.

"Yes, sir. It's a… uh… _story_. I'll tell you when we get a moment later. Until then, I just want to enjoy it all," Strider said.

"As you wish child. I'll see you all inside," Makarov said with a knowing glance as he left Strider alone with Mira, Erza, Cana, Lucy, Juvia, and Bisca - all of whom looked at him expectantly.

"You're back," Mira said with more tears as she quickly hugged him again. Strider sighed in delight as she did and rewrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight. His eyes washed over the others smiling features as well. Strider soon felt Mira's tears begin to soak through as they stood in the star illuminated night. As she finally let go, Erza quickly usurped her spot, squeezing him tightly.

"Welcome back," she whispered.

"I'm so happy to see you," Strider replied, gently rubbing her back.

"I can't believe it," Cana said, doing the same.

"Thanks for the call," Strider said, kissing her atop the head. She nodded before she was quickly wrenched back by Juvia.

"My love! You're back!" she exclaimed.

"I thought she was nervous about the whole thing?" Cana whispered to Erza.

"Perhaps the shock of thinking he was dead stirred something," Erza offered.

"Welcome back," Lucy said brightly.

"Thanks. You guys… look pretty much the same," Strider said in surprise.

"Yeah, that's… a story as well. We'll tell you inside," Lucy said.

"You guys go ahead. I want to talk to him about something real quickly," Bisca said with a smile. Shrugging, the others left. Sure they were gone, Bisca finally turned to Strider. As she did, Strider felt a vicious pang in his heart. Bisca. Macao. Wakaba. Romeo. Kinana. The others.

"Bi-," he began before she slapped him hard across the cheek. Gulping, he nodded slightly before turning back to her; and again, the slap cracked through the night.

"You were alive," she said in a cold voice.

"I'm sorry," Strider said, meaning every letter.

"Sorry? Is that seriously _all_ you have to say!?" Bisca hissed at him.

"It… there were extenuating circumstances," Strider said.

"What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean?" she demanded.

"I'll explain it. I promise," Strider said.

"You weren't dead but you let us think you were," she said.

"I-," he began before she held up a hand. As he saw tears trickle from her eyes, he felt his heart drop.

"You didn't even let us know," she said, her voice shuddering slightly.

"I know," Strider whispered.

"No. No, you really fucking don't," she said, wiping her tears away. With one last glance, she headed to the guild, trying to manage a small smile for the others. Pausing for a while longer, Strider finally entered as well.

-o-

The party was going on in full force and for the night, for most, the seven-year absence was all but forgotten. The noises began to wake up the neighbors, but no one minded; in fact, the party continued to grow and grow as more people began to join in on the festivities. Natsu and Gray each took the pleasure of knocking down a door to allow easy access inside and outside of the guild. Master Makarov was playing with several children, entertaining them by growing his limbs to different heights and smacking around some of the more troublesome guild members.

"WELCOME BACK!" one of the men roared, holding his glass high. Others began to do the same, cheering wildly for the returned mages.

"It's Mirajane," several more said, hearts in their eyes as they held out magazines and pictures for her to autograph. Smiling wide, Mira did so, taking more pictures here and there, happy to see the smiling faces around her again. They tried to do the same for Erza; for some, a single glance was enough to make them rethink their advance; for others, a single glance made their whole night.

The Exceeds were having their own fun as well; Happy and Carla were playing around with more children while Lily was wrestling people here and there, raucously laughing.

"Hey, Strider," Wendy said with a smile as she came up to him.

"Hey, Wendy. What's going on?" he wondered, hugging the girl.

"I'm glad you're back," she said, squeezing him tightly. Strider smiled as ruffled her hair, suddenly noting that she was wearing a lot more black than usual.

"Is that my cloak?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah! I wanted to return it to you," she said.

"Ha. Thanks, Wendy - but you know what? Keep it," Strider said.

"Really?" she asked in surprise.

"Yeah. I might need to resize it a bit, but it suits you. Plus, I'd feel a lot better knowing that you have it on you," Strider said distantly.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"Sorry, just… rambling. Here, I'll take for now and give it back to you in the morning, yeah?" he offered.

"Sure. Thanks, Strider," she said, handing it over and hugging him once more before joining Carla. Strider looked at the old cloak fondly, remembering how well it had served him - as well as how many times it had saved him. Now it would do the same for the young girl.

-o-

"A child?!" Erza asked in shock.

"Yeah. A little girl. Two now," Bisca smiled.

"I missed so much," Erza whined.

"It's fine. I'll bring her to the guild this week so you can get acquainted. I'm sure she'd love you," Bisca giggled.

"And the father? Is it…?" Erza wondered, looking sideways at Alzack. Alzack quickly locked eyes and offered a wry smile as he walked away.

"Ah. No. The father… didn't stick around," Bisca said bitterly.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that," Erza frowned, anger rising. Sensing it, Bisca hugged her.

"It's fine. Doubt he'd have made a good one anyways. Anyways, I'm just happy you're back. Things are starting to look up again," she whispered.

"As am I," Erza replied.

-o-

"Master," Strider nodded as Makarov joined him off to the side.

"Everyone is enjoying themselves, child! You ought to do the same," he grinned.

"I will in a bit. For now, I just… want to watch," Strider said.

"I understand," Makarov nodded.

"Forgive me, Master," Strider suddenly said.

"What for?" the old man inquired.

"As you can see, I wasn't dead. But… I didn't come back either. It… I…," Strider stumbled, gulping. Makarov looked on in surprise; in the few months he had known Strider before the event, he had never seen him stumble over his words before. Wondering what to say, Makarov put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure you had your reasons. It's been a trying time - for everyone," Makarov said.

"I just hope they were the right ones," Strider said. "But on to the other point for now - I think it's better if we talk in private after the party dies down. I'm not sure who else should know, though. I was thinking that everyone who was there has a right to but it's your call, sir."

"Mmm, I see. Jura is on his way here, as is a member of the Magic Council - a good friend of mine, Yajima. Us four will talk first, and then you can inform the others. Until then, however, we'll keep the circle small. That said, you're still alive. Whatever happened, you might find that you'll be watched - closely," Makarov said.

"I understand, sir," Strider nodded. As Makarov left, Erza soon came up to Strider.

"Come with me," she said. The other girls watched them go, eyes narrowed.

-o-

"What's up?" Strider wondered as they headed into one of the spare bedrooms upstairs. As the guild had to change halls due to inability to pay rent on the other one, the room was a bit messier - although, it still had the Fairy Tail charm.

As he spoke, Erza pulled him in for a tight hug. Strider hugged her back, inhaling her sweet scent. She hadn't changed one bit in all that time, he thought.

"You're alive," she said, feeling here and there to make sure it all wasn't a dream or illusion.

"And in the flesh," Strider replied.

"What… _happened_?" she wondered.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you guys a bit later. But for now, I just want to enjoy this moment. Seven years," Strider said. As Erza leaned back, she saw that his eyes had misted over, tears beginning to form in the corners. She brought her hands to his cheeks, gently wiping them. She remembered being in this position with him not too long ago to her senses; but to him, it had been seven years. In all that time, she wondered what else had changed. Scanning his hands, she saw they were as rough as they had been seven years ago; but otherwise unchanged.

"Seven years, and you still look like you did. Exactly like you did. It was literally only yesterday for us," she whispered.

"Good genes, I suppose," Strider said.

"Do you…," she mumbled.

"Hmm?" he inquired.

"Do you… remember? That day?" she asked.

"Vividly," Strider sighed.

"Do you remember… what almost happened before that?" she asked, hesitation clear in her voice.

"Vividly," Strider replied, the corner of his mouth twitching upward. Erza smiled and leaned a bit closer until her head was touching against his. Inhaling deep, she took in his scent; earthy, but sweet. As she felt his warm breath on her lips, she wondered what she should do. While in her mind, things hadn't changed all that much, on his side they might have changed drastically. Before she was able to make a decision, however, the door burst open. Mira, Cana, Lucy, and Juvia walked in, eyes narrowed as they saw how the two held each other.

"What're you doing?" Mira demanded of them.

"We were about to make furious, passionate love," Strider replied, making them all blush a scarlet as vivid as Erza's hair.

"WHAT?!" Juvia yelled, her glare focused on Erza.

"W-w-we were?!" Erza asked in shock, eliciting a chuckle from Strider.

"Relax. We were just talking," Strider said placatingly.

"T-that's right, just talking," she said in a smaller voice. Her mind quickly shifted to an image of their naked, sweaty bodies pushing furiously against each other on the bed, both in the throes of ecstasy; she had to fight the urge to smile at the thought.

"Oh? About what?" Lucy asked.

"Just how good it is to be back," Strider said.

"Got that right," Mira grumbled, quickly embracing him before the others could.

"Mira! Not you too!" Lucy whined.

"Hmm?" Mira wondered innocently.

"Ugh…," Cana replied. Strider kissed Mira atop her forehead, making her blush a bit further.

"And what're _you_ doing?" Erza grumbled.

"The same for Mira, I guess," Strider chuckled.

"Anyways, we came to get you two. Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus are just about here," Lucy said quickly.

"Let's head down then, shall we?" Strider said. As they all began to file out, Cana held Strider back. Quickly locking the door despite the protests, she pulled him in for another tight hug. Strider quickly returned it, particularly thankful to her.

"I've always kept it close," he whispered.

"I'm glad. I'm so happy," she replied, pulling her card out. Strider did the same, observing it with a smile; even more than before, the call card had become a prized possession. "Still, I'm surprised you kept it so long."

"Well, we only had a few months together but those were some of the happiest of my life. And now, to have you all back again…. When I got your call, I rushed back as quickly as I could. Took me a week to fly here my first time. Barely took a tenth of that this time. I don't think I've ever flown that fast," Strider said.

"Been busy these last seven years?" Cana wondered.

"That's putting it mildly. But - we'll talk about that a bit later. Right now, I just want to enjoy the party," Strider said.

"Let's go," she smiled, taking his hand and leading him downstairs.

-o-

"I never expected you to be the one to fill the big shoes, Macao," Makarov said, tilting one back with the current Guild Master.

"They never quite fit, sir. Now that you're back, you'll probably want to wear them again," Macao chuckled.

"Oh, I dunno about that. I was thinking about letting you wear them for a while longer," Makarov said.

"Really?" Macao and Wakaba asked in shock.

"Huh… First Master Mavis, Second Master Precht, Third Master Makarov… and Fourth Master Macao… That's got a nice ring to it," Macao glibly said to himself.

"This might not be the best idea you've ever had, but it should be hilarious," Wakaba said.

"That's why I suggested it," Makarov replied, giggling like a schoolgirl with Wakaba.

-o-

"Reedus, is this supposed to be a picture of me?" Wendy asked, squirming as she looked a picture of what Reedus imagined she would look like.

"Oui. I decided to draw what you all would look like seven years ahead, and this is the result," Reedus said, handing out the other pictures to their respective owners.

"Looks good to me," Natsu grinned; he was riding a dragon, spewing fire in the air.

"Can't be better than mine," Gray grinned; he was in a frozen tundra, sitting on a throne of ice with his hair grown out a bit longer.

"It's not fair," Wendy comically cried to herself, looking at her thought-to-be-older self, lamenting her proportions. "Why does reality keep crushing my dreams like this?"

-o-

"No way, Romeo!" You're a Fire Wizard as well?!" Natsu asked excitedly. Romeo, who looked up to Natsu as a hero, had begun dressing like him - down to the scarf. And as his hero, he decided to work on Fire Magic.

"Yup! Check this out. I can even use different kinds of fire. This purple one catches things like a net and this blue one is cold. There's this yellow one as well, but it just kind of smells funny," he said.

"Watch out, world! It's getting hot up in here!" Happy added happily.

"Huh. You ask me, you've already outclassed your old man. Probably kick Salamander's ass in a few years as well," Gajeel said.

"Wait… I remember that smell!" Natsu suddenly said, taking a whiff of the yellow fire.

"Aye," Happy lamented.

"Don't tell my dad, but I've secretly been taking lessons from Master Totomaru," Romeo whispered.

"No kidding? Ha. I didn't know he started teaching," Gajeel said with a rare smile.

-o-

Finally, the doors flew open.

"That parfum!" Ichiya said. As she heard it, Erza shuddered.

"Not again…," she grumbled.

"My beloved! So good to see you. Twice in a day - I must be in Heaven!" Ichiya said dramatically. Ren, Hibiki, and Eve followed - but hardly anyone paid them attention. All eyes were affixed on the woman with them. A tall and busty blonde, she was the spitting image of perfection. Her wild hair flowed down her back, tied up symmetrically but still allowed to go a bit wild on the sides. She wore a light purple dress that flattered her figure, showing a decent amount of cleavage and running two slits along the thighs, exposing the creamy white legs that elevated her figures. The high heels that clacked on the floor added a few inches to her height, despite already being tall. She wore gold bracelets on both hands, arms moving gracefully as she headed through. Strider found his eyes trailing hers and as she turned her head, they connected, blue boring into black. She slowed down for a second before continuing, sashaying through the hall until she reached Mirajane, whom she hugged tightly.

"Mira!" she squealed.

"Jenny! It's so good to see you again!" Mira said happily.

"Likewise," Jenny replied.

"Erza, my beauty - your parfum. Still the same as ever, like a…," Ichiya trailed off into a metaphor that Strider tried to follow but gave up on. Catching his eye, Erza deadpanned as she saw him chuckling to himself.

"Gray!" came another voice.

"Lyon," Gray said, getting up to greet the man. Lyon, Strider saw, hadn't changed much either. Sherry, he saw, had grown a bit since he last saw her. She wore a black vest with a collar and tie that covered just half her breasts. A purple band covered her stomach and just below, a tight skirt. With her was a man sporting a muscular body, wearing just jeans, glasses on his forehead, and a sock around his neck. Another member that Strider didn't recognize wore a green coat and khakis, his blue hair braided down his back.

Jura, Strider saw, had grown a bit taller. He was still bad, but his black beard reached his waist. His very presence captivated the room; and as Jura looked around, he caught Strider's eye. The two men nodded at each other before Jura went to converse with Makarov. Behind him entered a shorter, older man with bushy eyebrows, a toothbrush mustache, orange striped shirt, and black jeans - Strider assumed him to be Yajima. He approached Makarov as well, and the three soon headed upstairs to continue their discussion.

-o-

"Congratulations on Miss Fiore, Jenny!" Mira said excitedly. While her rival, she always liked Jenny.

"Well, at least now I'll have some competition," Jenny said sweetly.

"It's been so long. What've you been up to the last seven years?" Mira wondered.

"Been keeping busy with modeling, honestly. Started acting a little while ago," Jenny said proudly.

"Sounds fun," Mira said.

"Has its perks. It's been boring without you and the rest of Fairy Tail, though. You guys were like half the gossip," Jenny giggled.

"Don't let Natsu or Gray hear you say that," Mira sighed.

"Been meaning to ask, though - whose the new guy?" Jenny wondered, nodding her head in Striders direction. Overhearing, Strider smirked. He continued talking with Wakaba, watching the man's smoke tricks before pulling out his own pipe.

"His names Strider," Mira said with a sigh, having an inkling of where this would go.

"Strider, hmm? I haven't seen him before. Kinda cute," Jenny said, swiveling her head towards the Fairy. She eyed him up and down, particularly interested in the black cloak he wore - a material she had never seen. Mira finally got a good look at it as well. Much like his other one, it was pitch black; however, on the back of the cloak was a sword with a white hilt and red blade driving through what appeared to be a golden ring. Mira tilted her head, wondering what the significance of it was.

"He was pretty new here. He joined just a few months ago before… what happened," Mira said, snapping back.

"He was there with you guys?" Jenny wondered.

"No. Honestly, I'm not sure what he had been up to those seven years," Mira sighed, her mind wandering to the possibilities. She felt her heart drop as she wondered if he had gotten married or found someone in all that time. She admonished herself - it wasn't as though he belonged to her, or she to him; still, her eyes scanned his fingers. Noting nothing there, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Are you two…?" Mira wondered.

"What? No!" Mira said, a bit hasty.

"I'm going to go introduce myself," Jenny said, getting up.

"Jenny…," Mira trailed off.

"Hmm?" the blonde hummed.

"I… nevermind," Mira said with a sigh. Jenny was about to head off towards him when something caught her eye. A couple of smokes figure began to waft around the guild hall to much applause from the others. Wakaba had summoned a ship from his cigar which was be pursued by a large bird that Strider smoked. As the figures drifted into the ether, Strider excused himself and headed to join Mira and Jenny.

"Hey, Mira," Strider said with a smile.

"Hey," she replied, smiling back.

"Hi there. I'm Jenny Realight," Jenny said, extending her hand. Strider took it and kissed it, giving Jenny a smoldering look.

"A pleasure, Ms. Realight," Strider said.

"Please, just call me Jenny," she said, the slightest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

"Jenny," Strider nodded.

"So I'm curious - how well do you and Mira know each other?" Jenny wondered.

"Very well, I hope," Strider said, putting his arm around her. "Honestly, if it wasn't for Mira, I dunno where I'd be. She's one of the big reasons I decided to stay in Magnolia. Also part of the reason I'm back," Strider said, meaning every word. Mira felt her heart race at the words.

"I see," Jenny said.

"What about you two? You seem to be good friends," Strider noted.

"Mira and I both model for Sorcerer's Weekly," Jenny said, giving him a pearly white smile.

"Model? Really?" Strider said.

"Yup," Mira answered.

"I didn't know you were a model, Mira," Strider said, slightly surprised. He scolded himself; of course, she was a model. He had gotten used to seeing her so often, but considering her wholly yet again, Mira was a high watermark when it came to beauty, angelic in nearly every way - from her looks to her silvery voice, to her kind spirit. She even seemed to glow, Strider thought. He felt his heart begin to beat a bit faster before he quickly got it under control.

"Yeah, Jenny and I have modeled for a while now," Mira said.

"I'm an idiot for not noticing. You really are stunning," Strider said, so quietly only Mira heard. She blushed deeper, feeling her own heart beat faster.

"You know, you should come up for a shoot sometimes," Jenny said.

"Ha. What?" Strider laughed.

"I'm serious! You're a handsome guy and you look strong enough. I'm pretty sure you could get a cover, to be honest. I can see it now: Strider, Fairy Tail's Most Eligible Bachelor," Jenny smirked.

"Ah, I'm afraid I'm camera shy," Strider said.

"Oh come on, don't be like that! If you come up, you can spend more time with me," Jenny said.

"Ah, now that's much more difficult to refuse," Strider said.

"So you'll do it?" Jenny wondered.

"Difficult, not impossible," Strider winked.

"Ugh," Jenny grumbled. "Fine. At least come up _sometime_. I can show you around Crocus," she suggested.

"Now that I gladly accept," Strider said. "If you'll excuse us for a minute, Jenny."

"Sure," Jenny said, going to get a drink. Strider and Mira got up; he quickly hailed Erza, who was happy to get away from Ichiya.

"What is it?" Mira wondered, her mind halfway caught between doing a shoot with Strider and his comment on her beauty.

"I wanted to let you tow know that I'm going to be talking to Master Makarov, Jura, and Yajima about what happened after you guys disappeared," Strider said.

"Why only them?" Erza frowned.

"Master Makarov thought that was for the best. I'll talk to you guys about it later," Strider said.

"Why not now?" Mira demanded.

"It's his call, I'm afraid. I'll be heading upstairs in a bit. In case anyone tries to eavesdrop, I need you two to stop it. I can't blame them for being curious, but it's not something to listen to behind closed doors. I promise to ask if I can talk to you all about it," Strider said.

Mira and Erza both looked at each other before sighing and nodding. As Strider was about to turn and leave, he felt Erza stop him. Turning, he saw both of them looking at him with a slightly downcast look.

"I'm not leaving again. I promise," he whispered. They paused for a while before nodding, satisfied with the answer for now.

-o-

"WHAT?! LAST PLACE?!" Natsu yelled.

"Who's first?" Lamia Scale?" gray asked.

"We're second," Lyon replied.

"And we're third," Ren added.

"Sabertooth is first," Eve said.

"Never heard of them," Gray said, wracking his brain.

"Not surprising. They were the bottom of the barrel. But five years ago, five really powerful mages joined their ranks. And that was all she wrote," Eve said.

"Five?! That's it?!" Lucy gasped.

"Yup," Ren nodded.

"How'd we fall to last, though?!" Natsu asked.

"You guys were our strongest," Macao said grimly.

"Yeah. After that, we just couldn't keep up," Wakaba said tiredly.

"That's not true," Gildarts said, coming up to the conversation. "You kept the Guild going throughout the years. We can't ever pay you guys back for that."

"Damn straight! Don't worry about it, guys! We're gonna be on top again in no time!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I take it you guys are going to join the Grand Magic Games, then?" Hibiki said with a fond smile.

"What are those?" Natsu wondered.

"They're the Wizard Games that starts five years ago. Whoever comes in first is considered the strongest guild in Fiore. That's how Sabertooth got the title," Hibiki said.

"Yeah. We placed dead last every time," Macao sighed.

"Not anymore! We're going straight to the top this year! Happy, you in?!" Natsu yelled.

"Aye, sir!" Happy exclaimed happily.

-o-

"So you and Mira really aren't a thing?" Jenny wondered as she came up behind Strider, who leaned against a wall outside, taking everything in.

"Really," Strider nodded.

"You're attractive, she's hot. Guess I'm wondering… why not?" Jenny asked.

"Any particular reason you're so curious?" Strider wondered.

"She's a good friend of mine. I'm looking out for her," Jenny said, crossing her arms.

"You haven't seen her in seven years, while to her it probably hasn't been that long. You don't think that'll change anything?" Strider wondered.

"That… mmm… I dunno," Jenny said, looking down.

"I see. Unfortunately, I've no answer. I suppose we haven't explored it that deeply yet. Perhaps it's just me, but whenever I do get a moment with her, we get interrupted a few minutes later," Strider laughed.

"Do you want to explore it?" Jenny wondered.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Strider answered.

"Mmm…," Jenny hummed.

"What?" Strider asked.

"Nothing," she replied lightly.

"Nothing is always something," Strider laughed.

"Ugh, I hate it when guys say that," Jenny grumbled.

"Because it's true?" Strider said.

"Just let me be coy," she said in a mock-haughty tone as she leaned against the wall with him, taking a deep breath. "It's a nice night."

"Indeed. Quite beautiful. More so with present company," Strider said, looking at her. She blushed at the compliment before letting out a little giggle.

"Careful. I don't want the girls to get pissed at me," Jenny said.

"Sorry. It's just who I am," Strider said.

"Ah. The flirt with anyone type, hmm?" she inquired.

"I find that flirting is a great uniter, no matter where you live," Strider said.

"What do you mean? Are you not from around here?" Jenny wondered.

"Nope. I'm from a bit further north," Strider said.

"Oh? Like around Hakobe?" she wondered.

"Mmm, a bit further," he said.

"The coast?" she wondered.

"A little more," Strider said.

"An… island?" she guessed.

"Keep going," he said.

"I can't. There's nothing else but ocean," she said.

"Keep going over the ocean," Strider said.

"You can't be serious!" Jenny exclaimed.

"Completely," Strider nodded.

"You're trying to tell me you crossed the ocean? _Just_ to get here?" she asked.

"More or less," Strider said.

"If you want to impress a girl, that's fine. But next time, maybe keep your lies a bit smaller," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. Smirking, Strider faced her. He held out a hand for her take.

"May I?" he asked.

"May you what?" she replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Show you something. It does require I hold on to you," Strider said.

"And… what is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"May I?" Strider repeated himself. Jenny thought about it for a second, biting her lip. Finally, she sighed and took his hand, a blank expression on her face. Strider put an arm around her hip before levitating both of them quickly into the sky. Jenny barely had a moment to catch her breath as they came to a sudden stop. She buried her face into his chest, hesitating to lean back. As she did, however, she gasped audibly. She could see all of Magnolia around her, the stars shimmering brightly above.

"We're…," she began.

"Yup," Strider said.

"Flying," she said.

"Yeah," Strider nodded.

"You… can fly?" she asked, stunned.

"I can. Makes crossing the distance easier," he said.

"No way," she said.

"Way. Keep holding on," Strider said. She quickly hugged herself tighter to him, squealing cutely as she thought she was gonna fall. As she heard Strider chuckle, she hit him on the back of the head.

"That's not funny!" she said.

"Sorry. That was cute is all," Strider said.

"You're lucky that this is… fucking incredible," she said, continuing to look around.

"Glad you think so," Strider said.

"Is that all you have to say?" she wondered.

"I figure it's best if I stay quiet and just let you enjoy what's around us. That's the best way to experience this," Strider said. Jenny was about to speak but decided to take his advice. She swiveled her head here and there, a wide smile plastered on her lips.

-o-

"Well, it's official," Jenny said, resting her head on his chest as they continued to float.

"What is?" Strider wondered.

"This is the best date I've ever been on," Jenny said.

"Happy I could be of service," Strider said.

"How the hell are you doing this?" she asked.

"Telekinesis. I can use it on myself, letting me float," Strider said.

"Couldn't you just float me without touching me, then?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I could," Strider said, eliciting a giggle from her.

"I suppose you deserve something. Here's your prize," Jenny said as she tightened the arms she had around his neck and pressed her lips against his. Strider was slightly surprised by the kiss but rolled with it.

She felt how rough his lips were, but through them felt something else. Her entire body began to tingle as she felt him lean deeper and deeper into it, quickly taking control. She felt his tongue come through, exploring her mouth and flicking against her own. She moaned in pleasure as she let him taste her completely, giving him all the access he wanted before setting her own to work. Her tongue snaked on top of his, the sensation of pleasure rising more and more. What started as a gentle liplock evolved into something else as she felt his hands descend her body, hands gripping tightly on her waist. Finally, the two broke apart, lingering to take in the others scent and presence. Jenny was breathing rapidly as she pushed her breasts up against his frame, the warmth of it tickling Striders lips.

"Let's head down," she heard him say.

"Mmm… yeah," she replied, swallowing. Without another word, they set back down. As they headed back into the guild, Jenny stopped him. Fiddling around with her hands, she handed him a call card.

"We'll pick this up again _real_ soon," she said, clicking her tongue before kissing him once more, licking his lips gently as she parted and walked inside, sashaying a bit for him. As they crossed the threshold, they ran into Mira and Erza, both with a dangerous expression on their face.

"Oh ho ho, will you look at the time! I have to talk with Master Makarov about that the thing that happened with the guy in the place! I'm counting on you two!" Strider said.

"Strider, wait! You can't just leave me like this!" Jenny said, horrified.

"Huh? What? Sorry, can't hear you!" Strider called back as he headed up with a fervor.

"Jenny…," Mira began, her She-Devil aura beginning to surface.

"Crap," Jenny said in a small voice.

-o-

As Strider entered the office, Master Makarov was in a deep conversation with Yajima, with Jura only listening to bits and pieces. Telekinetically keeping the door shut, Strider took his seat with all three elder wizards focusing on him.

"Good to see you again, Strider," Jura nodded.

"Likewise, Jura. It's been a while," he said.

"Seven years. I take it you've been well?" Jura asked.

"Well…," Strider trailed off, bobbing his head side to side with a tired expression. Jura sighed and nodded; he expected as much.

"This is Yajima. He's been a part of the Magic Council as long as I have. He runs the Eight Ball restaurant and he used to be a member of Fairy Tail as well," Makarov said.

"A pleasure, young man," Yajima said, nodding.

"Hello, sir," Strider replied.

"So where to begin?" Makarov wondered.

"I think it's best if I just dive right in. Won't take long to explain, honestly. I was on Tenrou Island when the event took place. Originally I come from the Northern Continent, but I arrived in Ishgar several months before joining Fairy Tail. I traveled for a while before finally settling in Magnolia and joined Fairy Tail. While on the island we were attacked by Grimoire Heart. We were able to beat them but the morning of the next day, we were attacked by the black dragon, Acnologia," Strider said.

"Right. We know what happened up until that point," Jura said.

"The others we sealed in a protective spell, I imagine. That's where things picked up on my end. I followed Acnologia to a mountainous region. It was a few days until we began our fight," Strider said.

"Fight?" Jura asked in surprise.

"Right. While dragons are rare here, they're not exceedingly difficult to find where I come from. I've had dealings with several in the past. While not easy to fight, there are… skills and strategies one can employ to deal with them. That said, even then it's an effort that could take hours if not days to see until completion. The long and the short of it is that we fought. He was a tough bastard, but eventually, I was able to land a killing blow," Strider said. They looked this sword, which his hand kept on brushing.

"Killing blow? In what manner?" Yajima asked.

"Ah. Well, I had to get a bit creative with that. You see, a dragon's scales are impressively resistant. Acnologia was no different; in fact, his were more powerful than the norm I brought down boulders the size of houses and they still didn't faze him. That said, he was slightly incapacitated during the fight; a wound in his eye, which Master Makarov helped burst, kept him blinded on one side. But in the end, I had to… uhh… well, I'm not sure how to say this," Strider said sheepishly.

"What?" Makarov wondered, curious.

"Well, I jumped in his mouth," Strider sighed.

"What?" Jura asked, stunned.

"I uh… jumped in his mouth. Dragons are pretty big; big enough to swallow a person whole. Well, I took the initiative and went inside. While his scales were strong, the inside was another matter. I began to cut him apart from the inside. That was all it took in the end," Strider said.

-o-

 _As soon as Acnologia had completed his transformation, Strider telekinetically threw a massive boulder at him. The boulder buffeted the dragon ever so slightly but left no lasting damage. Acnologia roared at Strider who took it head on, his eyes full of hate. The roar did nothing to inflict fear; Strider ripped towards Acnologia, his sword licking the air in front as it hoped for a drink._

 _Landing on the head of the dragon, Strider began slashing. The cuts were evident, but hardly scratched the surface of the beast. Acnologia quickly shook him off, but Strider recovered and hovered in the air in front. Acnologia refocused on him and began to prepare another attack. Strider held his ground, waiting for the right moment to move. As soon as Acnologia let it go, Strider shot upwards. The attack crushed hundreds of feet of the mountain, which Strider focused his efforts into moving. Boulder upon boulder began to fall on the dragon, who remained mostly unfazed._

 _'He's a tough bastard,' Strider thought. The scales were a massive problem, especially considering the size difference. He looked at Anglachel; despite the power of the sword, dragon scales were always a problem. They were much stronger than any metal; iron and steel held no sway, and even mithril might not be enough. Strider looked at his foe for a weakness when a thought struck him - the space between the scales. He shot downwards at the dragon, who was still dealing with the onslaught of rocks. Landing on a scale Strider drove Anglachel between the space between them. He smiled as a slight bit of blood erupted. The dragon roared, feeling the incision, and immediately took to the sky. Strider tried to extend the cut, but it was of little use; he lacked the leverage. Separating from the dragon, Strider began to play defense avoiding swipes and crushing blows from the tail here and there._

 _'I can't rely on just cutting between the scales. Death from a thousand cuts won't work here,' he thought. He wracked his brain, wondering what to do._

 _The hours dragged on and neither side had done much meaningful damage to the other. Strider attempted to attack between the scales, but the attacks weren't all that effective. The pain in his shoulder continued to grow, but he paid it little mind - focusing all his willpower on the task in front of him. Keeping to Acnologia's blind side, Strider kept pelting him with boulders, each inflicting almost no damage as they broke on his impervious hide._

 _'Damn it. I'm going to have to get creative. Can't let this go on too long,' Strider said, grinding his teeth. As Acnologia reared back to let out another Dragon King Roar, Strider had an idea. He immediately burst forward, rushing down the dragon's throat. The move took the dragon by surprise and he tried to regurgitate, but it wasn't any use._

 _As he was going down, Strider kept stabbing and slicing. He smiled inward as he saw blood begin to seep from the cuts; while Acnologia was hardy on the outside, he was as fleshy and soft as anyone inside. As he trailed down the esophagus and landed around the stomach, Strider looked around. He was squeezed and squished by the organs and soon began to cut and burst them open. He put up a telekinetic barrier around him, but acid still managed to spill on to him, burning his skin. He gritted his teeth through the pain. He continued slicing and stabbing, determined to end the fight soon. He was becoming more and more aware of a striking pain around his ankles, where acid and blood were piling up. They soon numbed, but he paid it no mind._

 _Strider felt the liquid he stood in begin to shake around as the dragon swung from side to side in pain. As he kept going, Strider finally struck gold. As tall as he was, beating in front of him was the dragons giant heart._

 _'Fall,' Strider thought with a low snarl as he cut the arteries that held it in place. As the top two were sliced through, the heart fell to the side, spraying blood everywhere. Strider cut the bottom two, letting the blood continue to spray. He rocketed upward, trailing his sword behind him so it pricked the dragon all the way around. As he finally landed outside, covered in disgusting bile and blood, Strider looked back and saw Acnologia throbbing about. The dragon shifted back into his human form, a horrified expression on his face. Strider quickly grabbed his hair, giving him a few punishing punches._

 _"The dragons I asked you about! Where are they!?" Strider roared. Acnologia tried to answer but only blood came forth. As Strider squeezed his head, the dragon let out a howl of pain._

 _"I… don't know," he managed to say, wheezing out more blood._

 _"What do you think you're doing? You don't have permission to die just yet!" Strider yelled. He threw his sword on the ground and gently contorted the fingers on his left hand. The blood suddenly stopped pouring. Acnologia looked at him with a snarl._

 _"What have you done to me?" the dragon asked._

 _"I don't know any healing magic, but I can keep you alive a bit longer," Strider said, throwing the dragon into a mountain wall. He ripped at him again, laying into Acnologia with a barrage of punches. Holding him down with one hand, Strider laid into his stomach until more blood began to seep through. "Do something!"_

 _"Go… to hell," Acnologia spat at him. Strider scoffed as he held his head between his hands. He began to squeeze harder and harder until Acnologia screamed at the top of his lungs, trying to pry him off. Strider was unrelenting, however; he continued to squeeze the head until blood began to pour from the ears and mouth. He telekinetically brought the sword to his side, swinging it menacingly. Finally, Strider added a bit more power and crushed the skull in his hands. A sickening crunch reverberated through the valley as the last of the dragons life left him._

 _'It's dragon blood. It'll be enough,' he thought. He swiftly cut off the dragons head before plunging the sword down his esophagus. The blood began to swirl around the sword yet again before it flowed into it. Strider shuddered as he felt it vibrate excitedly in his hands. He kept holding the sword as it slowly, greedily absorbed every last drop. Finally, Acnologia's body fell back against the wall. Strider soon collapsed as well. The sword began to burn an eerie black as it waited patiently for its master to awake, eager to be held again._

 _-o-_

"You killed him from the inside?" Yajima asked, incredulous.

"More or less, yes. It still took a while. It's part of the reason I had to leave. Dragon blood is extremely acidic. As far as I know, my homeland is the only place I could go to get it treated. Even before that, however, the fight had taken its toll. It was a while before I finally got back there and started treatment. I still have some of the marks," Strider sighed, rolling up part of his pant legs. The three recoiled as they saw the splotchy, red and black markings - as though he had been burned.

"Does it just look bad or does it still hurt?" Makarov asked.

"It stopped hurting a while ago, but the pain comes back here and there," Strider said.

"What of the body?" Jura asked.

"I left it in Valmar Keep. It's my home in the north of Fiore," Strider said.

"A fortress?" Yajima asked, unable to hold back a chuckle.

"Pet project," Strider said sheepishly. "Would you like to examine the body?"

"We'll have an answer for you on that later. First, we have to decide on how to best approach the situation. Acnologia… Most just considered him a legend. A warning. I don't know anyone that believed he existed," Jura said.

"I understand. I'll follow you three on this. That said, after viewing it, I'd like to request the body be destroyed," Strider said.

"For what purpose?" Jura inquired.

"Dragons blood is laced with powerful magic. While I drained him of as much as I could, I'd rest a lot easier knowing that it completely done. I suppose it's as much for closure," Strider said.

"I have no problem with that, but some of the council might not agree," Makarov said.

"I personally have no wish to see it being experimented upon myself. I will support you on that," Jura said.

"As will I. The sooner this is done, the better," Yajima said.

"Jura, Yajima, could you give us a moment?" Makarov asked. The two nodded; with a smile and bow at Strider, they took their leave.

"What's up Master?" Strider wondered.

"I'm curious why you didn't come back," Makarov said plainly.

"I… several reasons. I suppose a part of it was guilt. I… I could have… it…," Strider said, unable to find the right words to say. He turned his head down, gulping as he felt a surge of guilt rise in his heart. Sensing it, Makarov put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"You have nothing to be guilty for, my boy. Whatever the reasons - all that matters _is_ that you're back," Makarov said.

"Thank you, Master," Strider said, managing a small smile. "Should I let the others know? The basics, at least."

"Hmm… Yes, that shouldn't be a problem. I'll bring them up here. Leave out the particulars, however - as well as the whereabouts of the body," Makarov said.

"Sounds good, Master," Strider nodded.

As Makarov exited, Jura and Yajima were still standing there.

"An exceptional Wizard," Jura noted.

"Indeed. Quite the catch, Mocky," Yajima said.

"Damn straight. There's no stopping us now!" Makarov exclaimed before heading downstairs.

-o-

As Mira entered the room, she saw Strider looking out the window. She saw a tired expression on his face, frowning as opposed to the usual smile he typically wore.

"Hey," she said, making her presence known.

"Oh, Mira. What's up?" Strider wondered.

"Master said you can rejoin the party for now. He's going to call everyone up here when the party begins to die down a bit. Everyone leaving now would just make the others curious," she said.

"Alright. How're you feeling?" he wondered.

"I'm… happy for the most part. But seeing how hard it was on the others without us…," she whispered sadly.

"I know," Strider sighed.

"What about you?" she wondered, taking his face in her hands.

"Tired," Strider said with a small smile.

"Is that it?" she wondered.

"If only. Happy. Sad. Guilty. Ecstatic. A few hundred other things," he said.

"Don't worry. We're back now. It's gonna be just like it was before," Mira said, hugging him tightly.

"I hope so," she heard him whisper. The two held onto each other for what felt like hours before Mira leaned back, gently stroking his cheek with her thumb. "You haven't aged a day."

"Good genes," Strider said, his hand mindlessly going down her side before resting on her jeans.

"Ha-ha," she said, rolling her eyes. "Come on. This party is for you as well, you know."

"Stay for a sec," Strider said, holding her hand. Mira looked at him curiously before nodding and walking back. She put her arms around his waist and rested her head on his chest, taking in the soothing heartbeat. She felt a shiver of pleasure go down her spine as she felt him weave a hand through her hair, gently rubbing her back.

"This is nice," she whispered.

"It is," he replied.

"Hey, you remember the night before it happened?" she wondered.

"Vividly," Strider replied.

"Remember how you were singing?" she asked.

"I do," he said.

"What was it?" she wondered.

"The language? Or the meaning?" he asked.

"The language was Sindarin, one of the many where I'm from. The story… it's about a mortal man who fell in love with an immortal woman. Her father didn't like him much, so he gave him an impossible task to complete if he wanted her hand in marriage. He went to attempt it, but she followed and was captured. Both eventually made it back; he lost a hand and was unable to keep the object. The king, moved by their actions for each other, gave them his blessing," Strider said.

"It sounded… kind of sad when you were singing it, though. What happens after?" Mira asked.

"Mmm… he went back one day to find the monster that took his hand and the object. He did, eventually - but it ended in a fight. He had enough energy to make it back to the king and give him the object, after which he passed. She died soon after, from heartbreak. As the legend goes, when she passed on to the next life, she was singing in hallowed halls. The God that judged Spirits heard her and moved by the words restored her and her love to life, giving them another chance as well as a mortal life - for both. They moved to a new home and continued to live the rest of their days in peace and love," Strider said. He felt tears begin to seep through his shirt; Mira was obviously moved by the story.

"Wow," she whispered. The story as he explained it was sad, but in the other language it had a touch of beauty. "Do you know any other songs?"

"A few. But they're best told under the stars," Strider said.

"Can you sing some more for me later?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I'd be honored to," Strider said. With a smile, Mira took his hand yet again and began to lead him down. This time, Strider followed, taking a deep breath before rejoining the party.

-o-

"Leaving so soon?" Strider asked Jenny.

"Afraid so. Don't worry - I think I'll see you soon enough. Besides, the Grand Magic Games are coming up. You guys _definitely_ have to be there," Jenny said as she hugged him. Her heart fluttered in excitement as she recalled the moment the two shared.

"I look forward to it," Strider whispered.

"Feel free to give me a call before that, though," she said, winking before taking his leave.

"Oh, you dog," Macao said with a grin as he came up behind Strider and put his arm around him.

"I dunno what you're talking about," Strider said, returning the grin as he did the same. The two grabbed a drink and clinked the cups together, downing the contents before filling them again.

-o-

As the party died down at last and people started to go home for the night, the Tenrou Team stuck behind, having been informed of what they would learn.

"No need to go to the office now. Let's just do it here," Makarov said.

"Bisca, aren't you going to head back?" Mira wondered.

"No. I have to hear this," she answered. Mira just nodded, having an inkling of where she was coming from. As Strider leaned against the bar, he took another moment to look at his returned friends.

"Hey, guys," he said with a smile.

"Yo. Master Makarov said you're gonna tell us what happened?" Gray wondered as he took a seat on the floor.

"The gist of it, yeah. Before that though, I don't think I can put it into words how good it is to see you all again. I can't recall many times that I've been this happy," Strider said. His words were met by smiles all around. "Now, I'm going to tell you what happened after the attack. I'd like it if you guys kept your comments and questions saved until after I finished."

Strider launched into the story about what happened after he collapsed in the water. He told them about his tracking of the dragon and the eventual fight they had in the mountains. He praised Makarov again for blinding Acnologia, something that had helped greatly. Looking at Natsu, Wendy, and Gajeel, he told them how Acnologia didn't know where they were. He told them of the long and difficult battle and how he ended up landing the killing blow, leaving out the gratuitous details. As he ended, they sat in silence, pondering what he said.

"You said the acid burned you?" Gildarts said. Rolling up his pant leg again, they saw the marks and recoiled.

"Because there are so many dragons where I come from, it was about the only place I could be treated. Even with that, though, it took a year before I could walk without any pain. Even now, though, it throbs from time to time. I'm doubtful of it ever being one hundred percent again," Strider said.

"That's pretty fucking metal," Gajeel said, his voice slightly admiring.

"So you've officially slain a dragon?!" Natsu asked.

"I suppose," Strider said.

"That's awesome!" the Fire Dragon Slayer exclaimed, spewing fire everywhere.

"Ha. Glad you think so, Natsu," Strider chuckled.

"So… he's dead, right? Like… he won't come back?" Cana asked, gulping.

"As far as I can tell, he won't be back," Strider confirmed.

"Good riddance," Lucy grumbled.

"Alright, everyone. It's been a long and tiring night. Get some rest. We've got some things to take care of tomorrow!" Makarov yelled. The others nodded and began to file out. With a sigh, Strider headed to his room. Bisca soon followed; Mira, Erza, Lucy, Cana, and Juvia watched but didn't say anything for the moment.

-o-

"Hey, Bisca," Strider said, gulping.

"So you were recuperating?" she asked.

"Partly, yes," he said.

"What's the other part?" she wondered.

"You remember there was a war?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said.

"When I came to Ishgar, the war had just ended. The restoration effort had only begun. I left because I wanted to get away from it all - at least for a while. When I went back, though, I found that they were divvying up the land. Different rulers got bits and pieces so they could exert their influence and power and restore it quicker. I… was obligated to help," Strider said.

"Obligated?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. A lot of damage was done to a few particular areas. I had to take charge over the last seven years. It's… been hell. I only got much of it finished up until weeks ago, but there's still a lot of work to be done," Strider said.

"So you're not sticking around?" she asked.

"I am! But there'll probably be some back and forth. At least I can fly faster now," Strider said, chuckling before stopping as he saw her blank face.

"If the others didn't come back, would you have?" she asked.

"I… I don't know," Strider said as he sat on the bed, his head hanging in his hands. To Bisca's surprise, she saw tears begin to fall and puddle at his feet.

"Strider…?" she whispered, gently moving towards him.

"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… I let you down. I let you all down. I let them down. I…," Strider said, fighting his hands around his hair. Bisca didn't know what to say; this was the last situation she expected to find herself in. No longer did the strong and resolute Strider she knew sit before her; instead, he was, for the first time she had seen, _vulnerable._

"Come on," she whispered, resting her hand on his shoulder.

"I…I've lost so much. And then them. I couldn't… look at… I…," Strider continued, unable to construe a sentence. Bisca felt the hair on her neck stand up as he said that. Sitting down next to him, she gently rubbed his back, at a loss for what to say.

 _'I want to be angry, but…,'_ she trailed off, unable to inflict her emotion on him. Slowly, she brought him in for a hug. She gently stroked his hair, whispering kind words to him as she let him cry on her.

-o-

"Sorry about that," Strider whispered as he came back to the room, having washed his face.

"It's fine," Bisca said, managing her first real smile that night.

"Bisca, I… I'm… sorry," he said.

"I know," she replied, getting up to hug him. "Anyways, I'm going to call it a night. There's a lot I need to think about."

"Sure. Sweet dreams," Strider said, kissing her on the cheek. With one more smile, she took her leave. Sure she was gone, Strider collapsed on the bed.

 _'They're back. They're back. They're… back…,'_ he thought, managing a smile of his own as he thought of his friends. His smile soon fell as he looked against the wall where Anglachel rested and vibrated a bit. Mustering the strength he could, he walked over and picked it up.

"Still a glutton, aren't you? You keep getting thirstier, quicker," he asked softly. The sword vibrated in affirmation. Strider let out a scoff as he put it down. "Maybe that's why we work so well together."

Resting his head down again, Strider was out like a light. As he fell asleep, a faint murmuring emanated from the sword.


	16. Refuge

"Good morning," Mira said as she entered his room. Strider leaned against a window, watching the sunrise with misty eyes.

"Oh. Hey, Mira. Good morning," Strider said, embracing the white haired beauty. She rested her head on his chest, taking his hand in both of hers and examining it.

"I'm happy you're back," she said quietly.

"You have no idea. Good thing I went home with Cana that night," he said.

"Ugh, don't ruin the mood," she grumbled.

"Ha, sorry. But seriously. I missed you quite a bit," he said, caressing her cheek with a finger.

"I'm sorry. I know it must've been tough for you all those years. For me, it… feels like I just saw you a couple of nights ago. Like no time has passed," Mira said.

"You've nothing to be sorry about," Strider said.

"Do… do you feel like anything's changed? Between us?" she asked tentatively.

"I… don't know. I don't think so. At least, it doesn't feel like it. Maybe, if I stayed here, it would be different. But… after I lost you guys, I kept myself busy with restoration back home. It… I can't say it feels like it was just a few nights ago, but it doesn't feel all that long. For that, I'm grateful," Strider said.

"I'm surprised you came back here so quickly," she whispered.

"You mean a lot to me, Mira," Strider whispered. His answer made her smile brightly. She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, taking in his heady scent. As she stroked his hair, another question came to mind. She resolved herself to ask him.

"Strider?" she whispered.

"Hmm?" he replied.

"In those seven years… did you meet anyone?" she asked. Strider was quiet as he let her go. Leaning back, she saw a blank expression in his eyes. "Sorry. I know it's a stupid question."

"No," was all he said. As he answered, she felt the tension in the room increase.

"I didn't mean to pry. I just…," Mira trailed off guiltily.

"It's not that. It's… mmm," Strider trailed off as he sat on the bed again. "There was someone. Once."

"Really?" Mira asked, her voice cracking.

"Before I ever came here - before I joined the war effort in full. She and I…," Strider hesitated. He felt his heart beat begin to increase as the memory came back to him. He rested his head in his hands, trying to get it under control. Sensing his unease, Mira quickly sat at his side and gently rubbed his back.

"You don't have to explain," she whispered.

"She died," Strider said. She put her arms around him, gently resting his head against her chest. As they sat, countless questions came to Mira's mind but she didn't ask any of them yet. She just kissed him atop his head, letting him know that everything was going to be alright. As he stopped, Strider sat up straight again and wiped his face, managing a smile but pained smile.

"Thanks," he whispered.

"Anytime," she replied.

"You remind me of her a bit," he suddenly said.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"She was kind and sweet; gentle and loving. She cared so much about people and tried to put them at ease. As a healer, it was her job. She went from town to town, helping people - saving them in some cases. She tended to me for a while, which is when I met her," Strider said, closing his eyes as he remembered her beautiful features.

"What was her name?" Mira asked quietly.

"Anairë," he said.

"Beautiful," Mira whispered.

"She was. Much like you," Strider said, eliciting a blush. After a long pause, Mira finally got up. As she did so, Strider held on to her hand. "Mira. Would you mind staying a while?"

"Happily," Mira said with a bright smile as she sat back down, resting her head on his shoulder.

-o-

"I can't believe he slew a dragon! That's so awesome!" Natsu exclaimed as everyone was gathered in the guild the next morning.

"Extremely impressive indeed," Carla nodded.

"He's super powerful. I wonder how much stronger he got over the seven years?" Wendy wondered.

"However strong he is, all I know is one thing," Gray said with an evil grin.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Natsu asked, grinning as well.

"For once, I think so," Gray said.

"What are you two planning?" Erza asked stridently.

"N-nothing!" they both squeaked.

"Those Magic Games shouldn't be too hard with Strider," Happy said.

"Hey, what are we, chopped liver?" Natsu asked haughtily.

"All I know is you're gonna have to train really hard!" Happy said.

"I agree with Happy. The games are in three months. You all have to begin training twice as hard to make up for lost time," Carla.

"Agreed. Take today for yourselves, everyone. The fun starts tomorrow," Erza said, leaving to get some strawberry cake.

"I don't think we share the same idea of fun," Lucy lamented before taking her leave as well.

-o-

"Hey, Wendy," Strider said as he came upon the young girl who was happily digging into some cake with Erza.

"Hey, Strider! What's up?" she asked brightly.

"Just wanted to give this to you," Strider said, leaving the folded hood and cloak on the bar for her.

"What's that?" Cana wondered.

"A gift for Wendy. She had my cloak when it all happened, so I got a new one made for myself. This one is hers now," Strider said, smiling as she quickly threw it on. Her expression told him everything he needed to know; she loved it.

"Thanks!" she exclaimed, hugging him tightly.

"Not a problem," Strider said as he leaned down to hug her back. Mira, Erza, and Cana exchanged a look and smile as they saw the two interact with each other. As Wendy went back to her cake, Strider left the guild with Cana.

-o-

"Good thing she has a respectable male influence now," Cana said.

"Natsu? Gray?" Strider asked.

"Really?" Cana deadpanned.

"Ha. Good point," Strider laughed.

"Wait - where are we going?" Cana asked, looking around.

"I was following you," Strider said sheepishly.

"Wow. It hasn't changed that much in seven years. I dunno if I should be grateful or sad about that," Cana sighed, looking around. "Hey, remember that place?"

"How could I forget? Our first date," Strider chuckled.

"It wasn't a date. You were complaining that Erza didn't let you eat anything but strawberry cake so you had me take you out," Cana laughed.

"Shall we?" Strider asked, holding an arm out.

"Definitely," Cana answered, leading him inside.

As they got seated and the waitress took their orders, Strider began to move the light lacrima around in his hands - just like he did the first time.

"Still amazed?" Cana asked.

"Oh, you've no idea," Strider said.

"Hey…," she began.

"What's up?" he asked.

"It… you know, you were gone for seven years. _Seven years_. This doesn't… all feel off to you or something? Like… like something's missing?" she asked hesitantly. Strider leaned back in his chair to reflect on her question, wondering how to answer.

"When I got your call," he said, pulling out the call card that he always kept close, twirling it in his hands, "I couldn't think of anything but getting here as soon as possible. I… I had to make sure, even if the odds seemed to be against that possibility. I'm happy I came back and now that I'm here… sorry, I'm rambling. I… don't know is probably the right answer," Strider said.

"I can get that," Cana said, feeling her heart fall slightly.

"I wouldn't say it feels off or anything, I just… don't know. I'm sorry, I can't really give a better answer than that. I think it'll take a few months before I can say for certain," Strider said.

"So that means you're staying, right? You don't have to go back soon?" Cana asked nervously.

"Ha. Yeah, I'm staying for now. I won't be going back for a few months at least. Even then, though, I promise I'll be back," Strider said, gently touching her hand.

"So what've you been up to the last seven years? Any girls back home, maybe?" Cana asked, listening tentatively.

"Nope. Just been getting drunk and conducting mass orgies. The usual," Strider chuckled. Cana coughed on her drink, going red as she looked up at him. "Ha. No, just kidding. Maybe. Maybe not. Mostly, I've been helping with restoration. I took a while off to recover after which I joined the effort in force. It… partly was to help, but partly to… uhh… ah, well you know."

"I understand," she said softly.

"You guys are back, though. That's all that matters right now," Strider said.

"Good to be back," Cana smiled.

"So how're things with you and Gildarts now? Have a chance to talk yet?" he wondered.

"Nope. Jeez, I don't even know where he's off to now. Probably sleeping with someone," Cana sighed.

"Seems like a fun guy, then," Strider said.

"Of course you'd think that. Men," Cana scoffed.

"I resent that," Strider grumbled.

"Because I'm right?" she wondered.

"No one likes a know it all, Cana," Strider said.

"Especially when they're wrong," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Whatever," Strider whined as their food came out. As they dug in, Strider paused to enjoy the moment.

"So these Grand Magic Games - you gonna train soon?" Cana wondered.

"I've no idea. Probably, though. I'm sure we'll win them," Strider said.

"We have to," Cana said determinedly.

"We will," Strider affirmed.

-o-

As Cana headed to the guild, Strider began to walk along the river. As he went along, he saw another familiar face. Lucy was sitting on the edge, her feet dangling over. To his worry, however, he saw tears streaming down her face.

"Lucy?" he said softly, taking a seat next to her.

"Oh, Strider! H-hey! What's up?" she asked, wiping her tears and putting on a brave face.

"What's wrong?" Strider asked.

"Nothings wrong," she said quickly.

"Lucy," Strider said, his voice firmer. She stared at him with a blank expression before looking ahead.

"My dad," she began.

"What happened?" Strider asked.

"He… seven years…," she said, tears falling again. As she felt Stride put an arm around her, she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder. She began to let the tears flow free, unable to hold them in much longer. "He died. Just a month ago."

"Lucy… I'm sorry," Strider said, gulping as he held her a bit tighter. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she began to sob wholeheartedly.

"Even after all that time, he kept sending me birthday presents every year. He kept writing to me. He… he…," Lucy continued, her voice shuddering violently. "He kept paying my rent. Even when he didn't know that I'd come back, he kept doing it all! For me!"

"Let's go inside," she heard him say. Nodding, Strider escorted Lucy to her apartment, just a few meters away. He prepared something to drink for both of them while Lucy's lip quivered as she read her letter again.

"T-t-thanks," she said, taking the mug. Sitting at her side, he began to rub her back comfortingly.

"Your father loved you," he said in a gentle voice.

"I know," she whispered.

"I know it's hard," he said.

"My mom… and now my dad. I don't… I don't have anyone anymore," she cried.

"You have me. You have our Team. And you have Fairy Tail," Strider said. Lucy's voice shuddered again as she put her mug down, holding her face in her hands. Strider put his down as well, holding her again. Lucy soon laid him down, resting on top of him.

"It… it was bad enough to think you died. If I lost you _and_ him…," she cried.

"I won't leave you like that," Strider whispered.

"Promise," she said.

"I promise," he replied. "Do… you want to visit his grave?"

"I… I don't know," she said, clenching his clothes a bit. "Yes."

"Where is it?" he asked.

"He's… buried on the Heartfilia Konzern. My home. It's where my mom is," Lucy said.

"Let's go. We can fly, if you want," Strider said. Lucy simply nodded. Holding her close, they soon exited out a window and towards her home.

-o-

"I'll wait here," Strider said, standing near the gate.

"No. Please, come with me," Lucy said, tugging on his arm. Strider hesitated a bit before nodding. As she led him to the grave, Strider saw how beautiful the home was. The grounds were massive, with well-tended gardens and a large home in the distance. Lucy, however, led him to a smaller garden plot - one with a variety of flowers blooming around two pillars. He saw the name _'Layla Heartfilia'_ and _'Jude Heartfilia'_ carved into them. As she approached, Lucy fell to her knees, her tears flowing again.

"H-hey mom, dad," she whispered. "It's… good to see you again. I know it's been a long time. I'm sorry, daddy. I'm sorry you had to wait so long. You were probably so worried about me. But… but don't worry, ok? I'm back. I got your presents and I got your letters. I'm… I'm…," she said, her voice breaking and shuddering constantly.

Strider watched as she talked to her parent's graves, his mind traveling back as well. It was a while before he heard her speak to him again.

"Strider?" she said softly.

"Yeah, Lucy?" he wondered, kneeling down.

"Do you mind if I visit my house?" she asked.

"Whatever you need, alright? We're in no hurry," Strider said kindly.

"Thanks," Lucy said, sniffling. She walked ahead of him a bit, looking to either side and taking in her former home.

-o-

"I haven't been in my room in such a long time," Lucy sighed with a watery smile.

"It suits you," Strider said, looking around at the vivid, pink decorations. On one of the walls, multiple articles about the going ons at Fairy Tail were plastered. "Always been a fan of Fairy Tail, I see."

"Yup. It's the only guild I've ever wanted to join," Lucy said. "And then I finally did."

"Has it been everything you thought it'd be?" he asked.

"Way more exciting than I thought it'd be," Lucy sighed. As she turned to him, her smile fell slightly. "After what happened, did… you not want to come back?"

"Ah…," Strider said, avoiding her gaze. He walked over to a window and opened it, taking a deep breath as he began to tap on the sill.

"Sorry. You'll probably be getting it a lot," Lucy said.

"It isn't that I didn't want to come back… I… don't know. It didn't seem to be as simple as coming back. I had let you all down. I had let the entire guild down," Strider said, turning his head down. As Lucy looked at his back, she saw his shoulders droop; surprising, considering the rigidity he always stood with. He looked older and more tired than she had ever recalled.

"Don't tell me you actually believe that!" she exclaimed. " _We're_ the ones who ran away in the first place, remember?! If you weren't there, we might not have even made it!"

Strider didn't answer, still going out. He felt Lucy rest a hand gently on his shoulder. It took all the will he had not to break down again; her touch meant more to him right now than anything else.

"You're back. That's all that matters now," Strider said.

"Permanently, now," Lucy said, giving him a tight squeeze before she began to look around. Strider continued to observe with a smile, happy for her return; happy for _their_ return.

-o-

"What's going on down there?" Lucy frowned as she and Strider flew through the sky, back towards the guild.

"I'm not sure. That's… a lot of people thought. Would you mind if we set down for a second?" he asked.

"Yeah. I want to see what's going on," she said.

As Strider landed, he and Lucy took a moment to look around. Thousands of people appeared to be standing in a line, waiting to get to the center of town.

"What's going on here?" Lucy asked.

"Wha - is that supposed to be a joke?" a disheveled man snarled at her.

"No! It's… I haven't been around for a while," Lucy said, surprised by the reaction.

"Don't mind him, dear. It's… just that people's emotions are high right now," an elderly woman said.

"You ain't heard about the attack?" a man asked.

"The attack? What attack?" Strider frowned.

"Ah… they really don't know," the man said.

"We're from Alvarez, dear," the woman said with a sad smile.

"That's really far away, though!" Lucy said, shocked.

"It's not as though we're here by choice, blondie," the disheveled man said.

"Are you refugees?" Strider asked, his heart falling.

"We are. Oh, there's my number," the woman said, looking at a ticket. Lucy looked at Strider who shrugged. He quickly held her again before taking off, his mind wandering back to the line of people. As he looked back, he saw that it went on for miles ahead.

"My God," he whispered, stunned.

"So many people," Lucy said, shocked.

"What happened?" Strider asked.

"You not from around here or something?" a woman asked.

"I'm not, Miss," Strider said.

"We were driven from our homes," she said, holding her children close to her. Strider saw tears begin to well in her eyes, as well as in her children's.

"Alvarez was attacked," another man said.

"By Ishgar?" Strider asked, stunned.

"No. We don't know what happened. All we know is… is that…," he trailed off. With one more look at Strider, he refused to finish the sentence, opting to look ahead. Strider didn't press him; he simply looked around, taking in the people.

"Are you ok?" Lucy asked, gently tugging on his arm. Strider was silent.

-o-

"Hey. What do you need?" Bisca asked as Strider joined her at a table with a drink.

"Lucy and I came across a massive line of refugees from Alvarez," Strider said with a frown.

"Ah. Yeah, if you had been here you would've known what happened," Bisca grimaced. Strider sighed and nodded; she had every right to beat him down with that.

"I know," was all he said.

"There was an attack there a year ago. Massive in terms of death," Bisca said.

"What happened?" Strider asked.

"That's the thing - no one knows. Some people are claiming it was a natural disaster, others said it was a band of terrorist mages. Some said it was a dragon, others are saying a million other things. The total civilian death count is close to a hundred thousand and most of the army is dead as well. Their Emperor made contact with Ishgar, though, and they worked out a deal where we would begin taking refugees. Apparently, the attack left a lot of lands uninhabitable. It… whatever it was, was really bad," Bisca said sadly.

"Wow…," Strider said, stunned.

 _'A hundred thousand dead?'_ he thought, shocked.

"Yeah. Because of our size, Fiore isn't going to be taking in as many as the others, but we're still going to have several thousand. What's really surprising is that the Emperor wasn't able to do anything. He's supposed to be a really powerful mage, but apparently he - and a bunch of other mages that tried to help - were powerless. Their entire army was devastated, so now they're in a pretty bad position. I overheard some people saying that the rest of Alakitasia might even try to attack," Bisca said.

"How long did it all take to happen?" Strider asked.

"From what I understand, it was over the course of several months. It… more dead just kept on turning up and turning up. Whatever it was didn't come here, though. It didn't even hit the rest of the Alkatasia. It was just Alvarez that was attacked and then… gone," Bisca said.

"That's insane," Strider said.

"You're telling me," Bisca sighed. "The agreement to take refugees was only just worked out recently, though. They'll be living all across Fiore. Alakitasia is taking most of them; we agreed for several as well," Bisca added.

"I recall Levy saying something about us not being on good terms with Alvarez," Strider said.

"Oh, we weren't. But after the attack, I guess some people softened up a bit. It helps that their Emperor apparently attended the negotiations himself. They worked out a deal that opened up trade with both continents. Because of Alvarez's position on the eastern seaboard of Alakitasia, it cut the rest of the continent off. So this is as much for economic reasons as humanitarian," Bisca sighed.

"You're from Alakitasia, are you not?" Strider asked.

"You remember," Bisca said, managing a small smile.

"I don't think I could forget. I remember the talk you and I had as well," Strider said.

"So do I," she sighed. "So… when _are_ you going back?"

"Not for a while. I promise," Strider said.

"Alright," Bisca nodded, slight hesitation in her voice. "I've gotta go take care of Aska."

"Aska?" Strider wondered.

"My daughter," she said.

"Ah. Congratulations, Bisca," Strider said, smiling.

"Thanks. I'll bring her around later," Bisca said, giving him a short hug before leaving.

 _'A daughter, huh? I wonder what else has changed?'_ Strider thought as he looked around. He was happy to see that the others were so jovial still; the effects of the party were still raging on.

-o-

"So are you going to be training as well?" Strider asked Mira.

"Yup. I'm going to be going with Lis, Elf, Juvia, Cana, and Bisca. What about you? Team Natsu?" Mira wondered.

"Yup. I'm going to my fortress for a few of weeks and then I'll join the others. I believe Levy, Droy, and Jet will be joining us as well," Strider said.

"Your fortress?" Mira wondered.

"There are some changes I'd like to make to it. I haven't had time to work it for a long time," Strider sighed.

"What can you do in few weeks, though?" Mira wondered.

"You'd be surprised," Strider said with a surprisingly wide grin.

"Well, I'm sure you got stronger over the last seven years. Two weeks probably won't mean much," Mira smiled.

"I certainly hope so," Strider said.

"It's fine to be immodest here and there, you know," Mira giggled.

"Sorry. It's been so ingrained into me, that if I even try to act otherwise it makes me really uncomfortable. I can't think of many more awkward situations," Strider sighed.

"At least now I know your weakness," Mira said in a sing-song voice. Looking through the stores, she sighed.

"What is it?" Strider frowned.

"We're running really low on jewel. It's been difficult for the others. With so few of us, a lot of them had to stay and help around the guild, keeping up repairs. They couldn't go out for jobs, so there wasn't much income, which led them to stay around more. Doesn't help that the guild they got a loan from - Twilight Ogre - were a real bunch of bullies," Mira said, anger seeping into her voice. Strider felt a sudden surge of guilt rise in stomach.

"I… believe my account at the bank is still open. I never did get a place to stay, so I'm sure the amount I have will be enough to see us through a few months," he offered.

"We can't ask you to do that!" Mira said in surprise.

"You didn't. I owe it to the guild, Mira," he said, taking his leave. As he left, Makarov and Erza joined Mira at the bar.

"He's feeling really guilty about not coming back here," Mira said sadly.

"He had his own responsibilities. It's not like he could've shirked them," Makarov sighed, Alvarez on his mind.

 _'What it must take to rebuild a country ravaged by war…,'_ he thought.

"Anyways, come with me you two. We have a stop to make," Makarov said. Erza, Mira, and the others felt the fury radiate off of him as they headed over to the guild headquarters of Twilight Ogre.

-o-

With the few but high paying jobs he had done, Strider had a decent amount of money in the bank. He deposited a hefty bag into a pocket dimension for Fairy Tail before he quickly took to the skies, heading to where the refugees were. As he looked down, he saw the same few that he had seen hours ago, still not having moved a spot.

"Why are you here?" the woman with the children asked, frowning.

"Forgive me. I… am not from around here. My homeland was torn apart by war. I know what you're going through," he said.

"You have _no idea_ what we're going through!" a man snarled at him.

"I do. More than you might think," Strider said sadly.

"Are you-," he began before being cut off by another, older man.

"Enough! This isn't a pissing contest of who's had it worse!" he yelled. The other man seethed before turning away from Strider.

"Sor-sorry. He… it's hard right now. For us all," another woman said.

"I understand," Strider said, looking at a couple of kids that were looking up at him. Smiling warmly, he kneeled down. "Hello. My name is Strider."

"H-hi…," a young boy said, holding his mother's hand a bit more tightly.

"Are you in a gu-guild?" his sister asked.

"I am. Fairy Tail," Strider said.

"I've heard rumors of them," their mother said.

"Good ones, I hope," Strider joked, trying to lighten the mood. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to come here and take up your time."

"It's fine. Y…you say that you know what we're going through?" she asked.

"I do," Strider said.

"When does it get easier?" she asked in a whisper. Strider looked at her, trying to not let his smile fall.

"Eventually, it does," he said. The woman stared at him intensely before sighing and nodding.

"I… came here to give you all a little something. It's not much, and you'll have to share - but… anything is better than nothing," Strider said as he began to pull out jewel and hand it around. Many people looked on in surprise and shock, not believing what they were seeing. He gave several large handfuls, especially to the children, who looked on in wonder.

"W-why?" the elderly man asked, astonished.

"Anything I can do to help," Strider said, gulping.

 _'It never gets easier, after all,'_ he thought sadly.

"We can't accept this," the man said.

"Please. If not for yourself, for the kids, then," Strider pleaded. Suddenly, the man from earlier walked up to him, grabbing him by the collar.

"We don't need your pity! We don't need your charity!" he snarled, trying to push him away. Beset by malnourishment and already low on energy, however, he only stumbled as he fell to the ground. As Strider tried to help him up, he smacked his hand away before standing up by himself. He took his leave, muttering curses at the Mage.

"Don't mind him," one of the women said sadly.

"I understand. Emotions are high. There's no need to apologize on his behalf. I… please, take some for him as well," Strider said.

"Strider?" came another voice. Strider looked and was surprised to see Jura along with another man of shorter stature. He had a dark green beard and wore glasses and an earring. His hat was as big as his head and his gaze was sharp as he looked Strider up and down.

"Jura. I was just helping out as I see fit," Strider said.

"I see," Jura nodded.

"Who's this?" the man asked.

"This is Strider, a Wizard in Fairy Tail. Strider, this is Wolfheim - part of the Magic Council and one of the Ten Wizard Saints," Jura said.

"A pleasure, sir," Strider said, bowing slightly.

"Hmph. What're you doing here, kid?" he asked.

"These people needed help so I thought I would offer what I could," Strider said.

"Are you giving them your own money?" Jura asked, surprised.

"As much as I can, yes," Strider said. "What are you doing here?"

"Wolfheim and I saw someone fly in - you, it appears. We wanted to see what was going on," Jura said.

"Ah, sorry. If I had known you were here, I would've gone to you first," Strider said.

"It's fine. Would you like us to take over? Wolfheim and I are in charge of this group," Jura said.

"I don't mind," Strider said.

"Better if we keep this official, kid," Wolfheim said. Strider opened his mouth to protest before stopping short. Handing out a few more jewel by himself, he passed the notably lighter bag to Wolfheim who nodded.

"That said, it's very much appreciated, Strider. We'll ration them out to everyone here," Jura said.

"No problem, Jura," Strider. "Also, if there's anything _\- anything_ \- I can do, just say the word," Strider said.

"We certainly will. Thank you," Jura said, heading towards the front of the line again. As Strider saw them go, he sighed before turning to the others.

"Jura is a good man. You can be sure that he'll keep his word," Strider said.

"If he doesn't?" a man asked nervously.

"I'm at Fairy Tail. All you have to do is let me know," Strider said, looking towards Jura again.

 _'I'm pretty sure I can trust him. Master Makarov seems to trust him quite a bit, and from what I can tell, Jura is a great guy. Doesn't mean everyone up there has these people's best interests at heart,'_ Strider thought, trying not to grind his teeth.

"Mr. Strider?" the young boy asked.

"Yeah, kid?" Strider responded.

"Could you show us your magic?" he asked. Strider smiled as he saw the excitement behind the eyes. Taking a few steps back, he began to put on a show for the children and others, trying his damnedest to lighten the mood, even just a bit.

-o-

As he returned to Fairy Tail, Strider saw that the guild was already thinning out. Mira and Erza both had a satisfied expression as they welcomed him back.

"You two look happy," he commented, feeling drained. Despite not doing much physical work, the emotional mood took a toll.

"The meeting with Twilight Ogre went better than expected. We got great terms," Mira said cheerfully.

"I hope they're still alive," Strider sweatdropped.

"They're lucky to be so," Erza said haughtily.

"Oh, here's the money. It's not much, but it should help a bit," Strider said, passing the bag to Mira.

"We can'-," Mira began before Strider waved away her protest.

"You can and will," he said. "Right now, it's the very least I can do."

"I thought you would've had a bit more than this," Erza said.

"Ah. I got… sidetracked, I guess," he said.

"What does that mean?" Mira wondered. Strider looked at her, Erza, and Cana - who had just joined - and sighed. As he told them what transpired, their faces fell.

"That was really sweet of you," Erza said.

"It… thanks," Strider nodded.

"I hope they'll be ok," Mira said.

"It'll be a long road to recovery," Strider said distantly. "Anyways, I'm going to call it a night. I'll see you guys later," he said, heading to his room.

"This must be hard on him," Cana said.

"I believe it is. He left his home to get away from war. And now, just as he comes back, this happens," Erza said sadly. "Anyways, I will be leaving as well. Cana?"

"Yeah, coming," the brunette sighed, taking a bottle for the road. With a dejected sigh, Mira got back to work, her thoughts drifting considerably.

-o-

"Come in," Strider said as he heard the knock.

"Hey. I just wanted to check on you really quickly," Mira said, closing the door.

"You don't have to worry about me, Mira," Strider said, smiling.

"You're wrong about that. What you went through isn't as easy to deal with as you make it sound. I just want you to know that if you need to talk to someone, I'm here," she said.

"Thank you," Strider said, giving her a hug. As they sat on the edge of his bed, Mira tapped gently on his thigh, looking at his feet. She gently pulled part of the pant legs up, gulping as she saw the scarring.

"Not a pretty sight," he said softly.

"What you did was really brave," she said.

"I had to," he said.

"Does it hurt? Honestly," she said. Strider paused before nodding. "How badly?"

"It… I've had to rely on my telekinesis a bit more for some things. It's not as bad as it was the first year, but the pain does come back sometimes," he said.

"Isn't there a cure?" she asked.

"For injuries like these, we're lucky that there are treatments," Strider said. As Mira hugged him a bit tighter, she gently laid him on the bed. Yawning cutely, she snuggled a bit closer. "Want to stay the night?"

"W-what?" she asked, blushing.

"It is pretty late. It wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to make you walk home, so you're welcome to stay the night. I promise not to try anything," Strider laughed.

"Ha-ha. I'm… not sure if that's such a good idea," she said.

"Oh? Why not?" Strider wondered. Mira just mumbled, eliciting a sigh from him.

"Shall I walk you back?" he asked.

"I don't want you to trouble yourself," she said softly.

"No trouble at all, really. Besides, like I've said, I enjoy spending time with you," Strider said, gently rubbing her back. Mira shivered pleasurably at the touch. Considering his offer for a second, she nodded.

-o-

"Do you remember when we first walked this way?" she asked with a giggle as her house came into view.

"I do. My second night in Magnolia," Strider said.

"Feels so recent, still," she said.

"Surprisingly, it does for me as well. It was raining pretty hard that night," he sighed, remembering what had happened weeks later on the island.

"Yeah. You cast that charm on me to keep it off. Sweet of you," Mira said.

"Do you remember what happened when we got here? As I recall, you were standing much like you are now," Strider said as she stood on the doorstep.

"I… don't remember," Mira blushed, remembering.

"You told me you don't invite guys in on the first date. And then, as I recall, I got in close like so…," Strider said with a devious smile, leaning in close. Mira's head touched the door as she inhaled sharply, taking in her scent. As opposed to fumbling her words like the first time, however, she gently leaned her head against his, biting her lip as she thought of all the different ways this could go. She was about to say something when the door suddenly opened.

"WHAT'RE YOU TWO DOING?!" Elfman asked, horrified.

"ELFMAN! LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Lisanna squealed to her brother, slapping him out of the way with considerable strength before giving an apologetic look to Mira and Strider.

"Ah. Well, there goes the moment," Strider sighed.

"I am _so_ sorry about that," Mira said embarrassedly.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you in the morning, Mira," Strider said, suddenly kissing her atop her head before taking his leave. With a wave at Lisanna, he took to the sky and headed towards the guild.

"That was so cute!" Lisanna squealed, taking Mira by the arm and escorting her inside. As they closed the door, Elfman squealed like a little girl as Mira glared at him.

-o-

"So you'll be joining us later?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah. I'm going to head to the coast to work my home a little bit. I'll whirlwind the repairs and upkeep before meeting you guys," Strider said.

"Are you sure? You can do that later as well," Erza said.

"I'm sure. Besides, it's something I've put off for far too long. I do it any longer, and I'm liable to forget," Strider said.

"If you say so. Alright, we'll be at Hargeon. Meet us there," she said, taking her leave with the others.

"We just got back and we're already separating," Cana said.

"I know. At least this time, we're sure of when we'll see each other again. And, of course, we can still talk," Strider said, twirling her call card in his hands.

"Take mine as well," Mira said, handing him one. Juvia did the same, presenting it with both hands and blush before running off to talk with Lisanna.

"With Gray, she was a lot more upfront about it," Mira sighed.

"Probably because she knew Gray was so dense, she'd have to beat it into him. This guy, on the other hand, is probably a pervert in disguise. All gentlemen are," Cana laughed.

"I resent that," Strider grumbled.

"Hi, there!" a tiny voice suddenly popped in. A young girl with dark hair and cowboy hat said.

"Hello," Strider said, smiling at her.

"I'm Aska!" she said.

"Aska? Bisca's daughter?" Strider asked.

"Yup, that's my momma! Momma! Come on!" Aska cried out. Bisca soon came in through the door, panting a bit.

"Aska, you know not to run off like that," Bisca said, scooping her up.

"But I wanted to meet everyone!" she said.

"She's so cute!" Mira cooed, pinching the girl's cheeks. Aska laughed, doing the same for Mira. Cana soon joined in; Strider simply observed the scene unfold with a smile.

"Your daughter is _adorable,"_ Cana said.

"Oh man, if Erza knew she'd have blown off training," Mira said.

"Who are these people, momma?" Aska asked.

"This here is Mira, this is Cana, and this is Strider, sweetheart. They're all my friends," Bisca said.

"Meera, Can, and Str.. Stri… Striga?" Aska tried to pronounce adorably.

"Adorable," Cana giggled.

"Want to hold her?" Bisca asked Mira.

"Yes!" she replied excitedly, taking the little girl in her arms and cradling her. Aska gave her a toothy grin that made Mira squeal in delight, much like the younger girl.

"How old is she again?" Strider asked.

"Two. Three after the Games finish," Bisca said.

"She seems wonderful. Congratulations," Strider said.

"Thanks," Bisca said, blushing a bit.

"I don't mean to pry, but what about the father?" Strider asked.

"He… left. In a hurry," Bisca said.

"His loss," Strider said. Bisca looked at him and smiled, gently touching his hand with hers. Mira soon passed Aska to Cana. As she did, the young girl retched as she took a whiff of the alcohol.

"Guess she doesn't like the smell of alcohol," Mira giggled.

"Ugh, if I knew you were bringing her, I wouldn't have taken a sip," Cana grumbled, trying to pass Aska to Strider.

"Oh. I… I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Strider said uncertainly.

"Come on, don't be a baby!" Cana said. Strider sighed and held Aska gently. The little girl smiled up at him, gently pulling his hair and touching the black cloak.

"So soft!" she said, rubbing her cheek against it.

"So cute," the three women sighed in exaltation.

"Glad you think so," Strider said with a short laugh.

"I got it!" Aska said.

"Got what, sweetheart?" Bisca asked, caressing her cheek.

"You can be my papa!" Aska said. Mira, Cana, and Bisca all went deathly quiet as they began to turn varying shades of red. Strider couldn't help but laugh as Bisca quickly took Aska in her arms again.

"Sweetheart, you can't just say things like that," she chided her daughter.

"Why not?" she asked innocently.

"I… don't know," Bisca blanched. "Looks like we have to go. I'll see you guys later," Bisca said, locking eyes with Strider for a long while before finally leaving.

"Kids say the damnedest things," Cana finally said.

"You two have something on your mind?" Strider asked with a smirk.

"Oh, we have to go as well, Cana! Later, Strider," Mira said, taking the brunettes arm and leading her away. Chuckling, Strider soon took his leave as well.

-o-

"I'm sorry about that," Bisca said. She, Mira, Cana, and Juvia were deep in conversation while Lisanna and Elfman led the way to a training spot.

"It's… fine," Mira said, smiling at the green haired gunslinger and her daughter.

"I'm curious now, though…," Cana said, slightly uncomfortable.

"Of what?" Mira asked.

"Does he… you know, have any?" Cana said.

"I don't think so," Mira said.

"What makes you so sure?" Cana asked.

"I asked him if he met someone during the seven years he was gone. He said he didn't," Mira said.

"Seriously?" Juvia asked, surprised but relieved.

"Yeah. It sounds like there was someone a while ago, but…," Mira trailed off uncomfortably, unsure as to how much she should share.

"What? What is it?" Cana urged.

"I'm not sure if I-," Mira began.

"Come on, I've told you what I know," Cana said shortly. With a sigh, Mira nodded.

-o-

"Welcome back!" Lucy cried out, hugging Strider as he landed on the hot, sandy beach.

"Talk about a warm welcome," Strider chuckled, returning the hug. "How're you guys doing with training?"

"Well, so far. Natsu and Gray are really focused," Lucy said, nodding her head at the two. Strider smiled as he saw them going at each other on the edge of the beach, looks of determination etched across their faces. "Which is surprising, considering how dense they are."

"Where's Erza?" he wondered.

"Ah. Well, _surprisingly…,_ " Lucy trailed off, hiking her thumb back. Strider laughed as he saw Erza lazing off in the water. Wendy was sitting against a jutting rock, her nose in a book.

"And what's Wendy doing?" Strider asked.

"She's reading a book that Ms. Porlyusica - she's the healer of our guild - gave her," Lucy said.

"And how are you?" Strider finally asked, smiling at her. Lucy returned it with a sad but content smile of her own.

"I'm feeling a bit better. Thanks for taking me back there," she said.

"Whatever you need, Lucy," Strider said kindly. "How're you holding up?"

"A bit better, I guess. I… just wish we had come back a little sooner. Just a little," Lucy said, sighing heavily. Strider nodded as he and Lucy began to walk along the beach, taking in the sights.

"Anyways, I'm going to get back to meditating. Capricorn said it'll help me summon more spirits at a time and keep them out longer. See ya," she said, scurrying off to some trees. Strider continued to walk under his feet were finally in the water. Looking out at the beach, he held his arms out, palms facing each other. Slowly, he moved his arms to his sides and began chanting as he concentrated. A large swath of water began to rise out of the water, leaving only algae. Fishing continued to swim around in the levitating water. Strider continued to elevate it before he gently brought it back down, allowing it to reconnect with the sand.

 _'What to do?'_ he wondered.

"Trying to figure out what to do?" Erza asked, coming up behind him.

"Yup. Seven years, and I trained heavily. I suppose you could say that I've hit a bit of a roadblock," he sighed, shifting uncomfortably.

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," she mused.

"Nor did I. There are some bits of telekinesis I still need to work on, but I can't do that here," he sighed.

"Why not?" she wondered.

"They're large scale. I need a place to train with nothing for miles. I suppose I can work on the basics, but-," Strider started to say when he was cut off by a surprise arrival.

"What's wrong, Virgo?" Lucy asked her beautiful, violet-haired maid.

"Princess! The Celestial Spirit World is in grave danger! We require your help!" Virgo said, bowing to them all.

"What do you mean?!" Lucy asked, horrified.

"I've been asked to bring you to the Celestial Spirit World at once," Virgo replied.

No one needed another moments thought. As everyone nodded in agreement, they found themselves surrounded by a white light. Suddenly, everything around them had changed.

Strider looked on in awe. He'd seen a lot of things, but nothing quite like this before. He could see the planets, moons, and stars overhead. He saw a river of light cascading through a twinkling sky. He looked at himself and found his clothes changed. While he still wore the hood, cloak, and sword - his other vestments had been replaced. These new clothes were purple with yellow embroidering, regal as they could be. He looked around and saw his friends wearing the same designs, each just as stunned by the events that had transpired.

"Welcome back, old friend," said a booming voice.

As they turned to see where it came from, they were met by the watchful and kind gaze of the ruler of the spirit plane - the Celestial Spirit King. A large man with a mustache that jutted as far as his shoulders, his arms crossed in front of him as he greeted his new friends. They were surrounded by a variety of spirits, many that Strider had not seen before. He looked around as a child would in a toy store.

"Celestial Spirit King!" Lucy said, walking up to the floating man. "Virgo said you needed help! What's wrong?"

A long pause, as everyone looked up expectantly at the king.

"Smile," the king said, grinning wide.

Everyone sweatdropped.

"Today, we celebrate the return of our old friend and her comrades. I welcome you all to the Celestial Spirit World. Today is for you," the king boomed. Looking around, they saw all the spirits begin to party, smiling at the wizards.

"Virgo! I thought you said the world was in danger?" Lucy asked.

"I lied," Virgo said, smiling wide as well.

"WHAT?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Come, let us sing, drink, and celebrate with abandon!" the king yelled. No one needed to think about it. Everyone easily got acclimated to the party atmosphere and started to celebrate. Gray was playing with the Nicolas while Aquarius observed. Wendy was speaking with Horologium, while Natsu and Erza were eating with Gusto. Levy gawked at the massive bookshelf she came across and was reading to her heart's content - her very own idea of having fun at a party.

"It's good to see you again Aries," Strider said as came across the fluffy Spirit.

"Oh! H-h-hi!" she squealed timidly, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"I just wanted to thank you for your help on that job all those years ago. The bird one, if you remember," he said.

"I remember! It was no trouble at all, really!" she said.

"So, you're Strider. I've heard about you but I don't think we've talked much," Loke said, coming up behind him.

"A pleasure. Loke, no? You partnered with Gray during the S-Class Trial?" Strider asked.

"Yup, that's me. We would've won it too if those pricks hadn't interfered," Loke grumbled.

"Ha. Maybe next year, then," Strider said.

"Oh, definitely. Can't wait to go up against you," Loke said with a challenging grin.

"I look forward to it," Strider said, returning it.

"Ugh, please save the fighting for later," Lucy groaned.

"Oh, Lucy! We've missed you so much!" Loke said, looking for a hug. Lucy deftly dodged it, choosing to converse with the king instead.

"Would you like anything to eat, Master Strider?" Virgo asked.

"I'm good Virgo, thank you. How have you all been these last seven years?" he wondered.

"Time flows differently here, so it actually didn't feel that long. I'm happy that I can serve Princess Lucy again," Virgo said, before smiling. "I hope she punishes me soon."

"Ha. Ah, you might have to wait for that. Lucy's too kind to punish," Strider said.

"Perhaps you wouldn't mind, then? I've been a very naughty girl," Virgo said.

"I'd rather not get on Lucy's bad side," Strider laughed.

"I shall ask her permission on your behalf, then!" Virgo said, running off to join Lucy.

-o-

"Shouldn't you be celebrating with everyone as well?" Aquarius asked Strider.

"This is good enough for me. I'm just happy they're all having fun," Strider sighed.

"Hmph. No one likes a brooder," Aquarius scolded.

"Really? I've heard the opposite. Besides, if I was broody, this conversation would've ended before it began," Strider laughed.

"Whatever. At least have something to drink. You're bringing the mood down," Aquarius said hardly. Strider looked at her, holding her gaze for a long while before he finally acquiesced.

"You're right," he finally said, sighing heavily.

"Don't make it sound so painful," Aquarius groaned.

"Curious - how did you fare without Lucy?" Strider asked. Aquarius was silent as she looked at the blonde, who was trying to talk Virgo out of having Strider punish her. Strider saw her eyes go soft before hardening again.

"Back way too soon!" she said haughtily, eliciting a laugh from him.

"STRIDER! YOU GOTTA TRY THIS!" Gray shouted, throwing some meat at him. Strider raised a cup to him in thanks before digging in.

-o-

"Man, this was awesome. Great way to kick off these three months of training," Gray said.

"I should've probably mentioned that time flows differently here," Virgo said, preparing to take them back.

"What? So a day back home is like a year here? We should train here instead!" Natsu said excitedly.

"Actually… one day here is about three months back there," Virgo said smiling.

Suddenly, the team found themselves on the shore of the beach. Three months had passed. In a single day. The Grand Magic Games were just a hop, skip, and a jump away.

Natsu, Erza, and Gray fell forward onto their faces, not saying a word.

Wendy fell to her knees and began to cry comically.

Strider stood there, trying to keep his laughter in check.


	17. The City of Flowers

**No new chapter next Saturday, unfortunately. It's going to be a busy couple of weeks on my end, but I will definitely be right back on schedule the week after!**

 **-o-**

"NO! WE WILL NOT GO DOWN LIKE THIS!" Erza roared to her friends.

"RIGHT! WE'VE STILL GOT TIME!" Natsu agreed.

"Prepare yourselves! These next few days will break you. You may not survive, but your death will be honored at the Games!" Erza declared.

"Hold on! We didn't survive Acnologia just to die training!" Gray said.

Erza was about to reply when a pigeon suddenly flew onto her head. Slowly, she glanced up.

"It looks like there's something around its leg. I think it's a carrier pigeon," Lucy said, gently removing the note.

 _"Walk over the bridge to the east,"_ she read aloud.

"Sounds like a trap. An extremely obvious one at that," Strider frowned.

"I agree with Strider. I'm… not sure this is a good idea," Lucy grimaced.

"Nonetheless, we should see what it is. I doubt many people would go through this kind of effort to deliver a message to us," Erza said. With a glance at her teammates, they all nodded, curiosity overtaking them.

Making their way east, they slowly winded through the forest until they finally they reached a wide crevice where the bridge was supposed to be. Problematically, it was broken and uncrossable, except by flight. Strider was about to take them all over when suddenly as if time began to wind backward, the bridge was repaired. The planks and ropes came back tot heir designated positions as the bridge healed itself.

"O…k. That was weird," Gray said, raising an eyebrow.

"I don't think we should cross it," Wendy said timidly.

"We have to!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Are you volunteering?" Gray asked. He didn't wait for an answer before pushing Natsu onto the bridge. Natsu ran a bit forward before looking back.

"JERK!" he yelled before quickly scurrying across.

"I'm impressed. I didn't think this rickety bridge would have supported him. I was almost certain he'd plunge to his doom," Strider said with a macabre interest.

"We all thought that," Lucy deadpanned. They slowly made their way across, Strider using his telekinesis to hold the bridge in place, just in case it decided to give up. As they made it to the other side, they felt a strong magical presence. Everyone was on edge as they saw three figures atop a short hill. As they revealed themselves, Strider felt a bit of anger surge forward as he placed two of them. The third, blue haired one he didn't know.

"Jellal?" Erza asked, shocked to see him.

"Hello, Erza," Jellal spoke, managing a smile small for his old friend.

"Meredy? And Ultear?" Gray asked, just as stunned. The pink haired mage smiled and waved at them, while the beautiful dark purple haired mage observed them, one hand on her hip as she held an orb in the other.

"Gray," she acknowledged, her eyes traveling over all of them before landing on Strider. As she did, she gulped; his cold gaze seemed to freeze her. She saw his fingers twitching, as though looking for his sword.

"And who might you be?" Strider asked, directing his question at Jellal.

"My name is Jellal. This is Meredy, and Ultear," he said, pointing to the women beside him, both of whom nodded at Strider. "And you are?"

"Strider," he replied.

"Are you a member of Fairy Tail as well?" Jellal asked.

"I am," Strider replied.

"I wasn't aware of any new members there," Jellal frowned.

"I joined before what transpired at Tenrou Island," Strider said.

"I remember you," Ultear said.

"As do I," Strider said.

"Me too. But… you weren't trapped there with the others?" Meredy asked, frowning.

"No, but that's a story for another day," Strider said.

"Jellal, why are we here? I thought you were imprisoned?" Erza asked, surprised by the ordeal. At last, Strider had gripped his sword. The motion put the other three on edge, all of whom didn't want this to devolve into a fight. Finally, however, Erza put a hand on Strider's shoulder. As he met her gaze, she shook her head, managing a small smile.

 _'Are you sure? Your stories about him…,'_ Strider trailed off telepathically.

"I'm sure," she whispered. The others looked on in confusion but opted not to say anything. Finally, Strider nodded. Taking his hand off his sword, he relaxed but kept a watchful eye on the others.

"Again, why are we here? Why are you here?" Erza asked Jellal.

"Ultear and Meredy broke me out," he said, sighing a bit.

"I didn't give him much of a choice," Ultear added.

"The three of us formed our own guild - Crime Sorcière, or _'Witches Crime'._ Our goal has been to purge Fiore of the dark guilds," Jellal said.

"Woah, hold on! I've heard of you guys! Kinana was telling me about some new guild that's been taking out Dark Guilds!" Lucy exclaimed.

"No way?! That's you guys?!" Natsu asked excitedly.

"It is. We've been focusing all our efforts on eliminating as many Dark Guilds as we can. That said, our main target still eludes us," Jellal said.

"Who's your main target?" Strider inquired.

"There've been rumors that it was a dark guild that attacked Alvarez. Further, we've reason to believe that Zeref is connected to the attacks," Jellal answered. Strider paused but nodded.

 _'Fucking hell. I forgot that they don't know he's dead yet. But… if he's dead…,'_ Strider thought. Everything had happened so quickly, he hadn't a chance to tell everyone else; nor did he think it was a good idea to tell them right now.

"I see," Erza answered.

"When we heard you were joining the Grand Magic Games, we thought it'd be a good idea to approach you for your help. Every year, we feel a presence at the Games - one that feels like Zeref, but stronger. We believe that our interactions with him in the past have formed a sort of connection or link between us. We'd like your help in investigating," Jellal said.

"We'll do it," Erza replied without giving it a second thought.

"Thank you. And just like any other job, we'll be paying you," Meredy said, smiling at them.

"Alright! Food money!" Natsu and Happy exclaimed.

"Ha. Oh, no. Nothing as mundane as that. Over the years, I've improved my Arc of Time magic. With my new skills, I can help you improve your magic exponentially - both in terms of how much you can use, and how much power each attack has. But it will be painful," Ultear said sardonically, her eyes almost glowing.

"Hey eyes," Wendy shivered, hugging Striders leg.

"Alright! Sweet!" Natsu exclaimed in delight, rushing forward to hug Ultear. "Thank you so much, I know we've had our differences, but that's in the past, also, I'm totally cool with you pretending to be a chick!"

"What do you mean pretending?!" Ultear asked haughtily.

-o-

"Erza, could I speak with you in private?" Jellal asked.

"Mmm… certainly," she nodded.

"Are you sure?" Strider asked.

"I am. Don't worry," she said soothingly. Strider paused before hugging her. She returned it tightly while the others looked on.

-o-

"So… you remember everything that's happened?" Erza asked quietly.

"I do," Jellal said, looking down. They were atop a perched rock, overlooking the ocean. The wind blew Erza's hair and dress back while Jellal sat down on a rock, heart heavy.

"Does that include what happened to Simon?" she asked.

"He died by my hand," Jellal said.

"What about the Nirvana incident?" she asked.

"Everything. I remember it as being trapped in a fog of amnesia. It's a strange feeling," he said.

"So who am I speaking with?" she asked softly. "The Jellal I knew as a child?"

"I'd be happy if you thought of me that way. But I wouldn't blame you for keeping your distance," he said. Erza saw him clench his fists together, as though it took all his power to say that. "If you want to avenge Simon, I won't stop you. My life was forfeit long ago."

"Do you think Simon would _want_ you to say something as stupid as that?" she asked. "What about your new guild? All the good you've done? If anything, that's what you should be dedicating your life to. _That_ can be your atonement."

"I don't think it can," he said softly.

"Why not?" she asked, feeling her anger rise slightly.

"When we first started Crime Sorcière, I hoped it would bring me peace. But what I did at the Tower of Heaven can't be made right so easily. Is there a point to what I'm doing? Will these thoughts and regrets ever go away? I… feel lost. Perhaps it better if-," Jellal began before Erza slapped him.

"That's the cowards way out. You're a lot of things, Jellal, but one thing I know for certain is that you're not a coward," Erza said.

"I may be a lot of things, Erza, but I'm not as strong as you when it comes to this. Life-," Jellal began again before she cut him off.

" _Life_ is what gives us strength. It's not something you should be throwing away this easily! _This_ is not the Jellal I knew as a child! _He_ was full of life!" she shouted.

"Maybe he's dead," Jellal said. His callous response angered Erza to end. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up, shaking him vigorously.

"SNAP OUT OF IT! THIS ISN'T SOMETHING FOR YOU TO SPEAK SO CASUALLY ABOUT!" she shouted at him.

Finally, however, she stopped. Slowly, Erza pulled him into a tight hug. Jellal was surprised but slowly returned it. It had been a while since he had felt such warmth and happiness, but it slowly filled him up. The two held each other tightly, a flurry of thoughts ringing through their minds.

"You always know what to say, don't you?" Jellal asked quietly.

"That's not true at all," Erza said, leaning back slightly to look up at him. "I just go through life one day at a time."

Jellal was surprised to see her eyes begin to mist as water formed in their edges. Erza's lip quivered as she quickly wiped them away.

"I never thought I'd see you again," she said quietly, in a shuddering voice.

"Erza… I…," Jellal began. The two stared at each other for a long while before hugging each other close again, not sure what to say.

-o-

Jellal and Erza moved from the overlook to the beach, resting their feet in the watery sand.

"A… question, if I may," Jellal said.

"Hmm?" Erza asked.

"The newest member of your guild," Jellal said.

"Oh!" Erza said, suddenly turning red. Her mind quickly flashed to Strider before she looked at Jellal.

"You and he appear to be… close," Jellal said. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy rush through him but quickly and quietly suppressed it.

"I… suppose we are. He's an exceptional wizard and person," Erza said with a light smile as she looked out over the beach, sitting shoulder to shoulder with him.

"Are you two…?" Jellal asked uncomfortably.

"What?! Of course not! What gave you that idea?!" Erza exclaimed, turning red.

"I didn't mean to offend," Jellal said quickly, breathing a sigh of relief.

"It's… fine," she said.

"Does he know?" he asked.

"About what happened at the Tower?" she asked.

"Yes," Jellal affirmed.

"More or less, he knows. As well as what happened after I joined Fairy Tail. I don't think I told him much about the Seis, but he has the gist of it all," she said.

"It doesn't seem as though he likes me very much," Jellal said.

"He hasn't gotten to know you yet. Give him time," Erza said gently.

"As you wish," Jellal sighed as they sat in silence. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him."

"Zeref?" Erza asked.

"No. Simon," he replied.

"I'm not sure that's ever going to go away," Erza said quietly.

"I don't want it to. I need to remember him, always. To make sure I never… go back," Jellal said with a shudder.

"You and he might get along," Erza sighed.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Strider. He's not from around here. From what I know, he used to be a soldier in the Northern Continent. I… I think he's done a lot of things he's not proud of. Part of him coming here was to get away from it all. I… I suppose he's seeking atonement as much as you are," she said, a sudden pang going through her heart.

"The Northern Continent? Don't be ridiculous," Jellal said.

"I'm serious," she said.

"The Great Sea is impossible to cross," Jellal said.

"Not for him. He uses telekinesis for flight. That brought him here," she said.

"The amount of time he'd have to keep up his magic…," Jellal trailed off.

"He's quite powerful. Might even give you a challenge," Erza said, offering Jellal a small smile.

"It's good to see that you haven't lost your smile," he said, returning it with a small one of his own as he saw Erza blush. The little gesture brought his mood up considerably.

"I suppose it still hasn't hit me yet. Seven years…," she sighed.

"Ultear and Meredy saw the aftermath of what happened. From what I understand, they both spent days at sea, looking for any trace of the guild. The only thing they felt was Acnologia overhead, but eventually, he headed towards the mainland," Jellal said.

"I'm thankful that they tried," Erza said.

"Not angry at them?" he wondered.

"A bit. But I've forgiven you. It's only fair that I forgive them as well. After all, what's life without forgiveness?" she mused.

"Perhaps," Jellal said.

-o-

The group made their way to a peak with a cabin that overlooked the ocean close by. As they began to go through the process, they felt what Ultear was talking about; the pain was almost mind numbing. Red linings covered them as they squirmed and roared in pain. Ultear and Meredy looked on, uneasy. causing others pain after their redemption became much more difficult. Strider saw Meredy digging a nail into her wrist, drawing a bit of blood as tears formed in the corner of her eyes.

"Forgive me, but it's necessary to do this," Ultear said.

"Aren't you going to join them?" Meredy asked.

"No," Strider replied.

"So… umm… you were on the island?" she continued.

"I was," Strider answered.

"We came across him," Ultear said, finally turning her attention to him. "Maybe you weren't there or you were fighting Juvia, but he came to help her and Gray. I think Gray sent you away. He didn't want any interference."

"That's correct," Strider said.

"Did you come across any of the other Seven Kin?" Ultear asked.

"Azuma, Rustyrose, and the old man," Strider said.

"Azuma… Rustyrose… wait - were you the one that beat them?" Meredy asked.

"I was, yes," Strider said.

"They were injured pretty badly," she said.

"Are they still alive?" he wondered.

"Yeah, they are. In jail, still," Meredy said.

"Ah. Well, they have that to be thankful for," he said coldly. "So you two left? Did you find God?"

"You could say that. After Juvia and Gray beat us, we had a little time to talk. They… both made really good points," Meredy said.

"It was that simple?" Strider asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It got to be too much. I only joined Grimoire Heart because Ultear saved me when I was a child. I haven't known any other kind of life. And Ultear was trying to get her family back. Master Hades said when we achieved our goal, we'd get what we always wished for," Meredy said, looking down.

"Get your family back?" Strider asked her.

"My mother, Ur. She was an Ice Wizard - actually, the Wizard that taught Gray his magic. She died during a fight against a demon. Hades said that…," she trailed off, sighing.

"Necromancy doesn't work like that," Strider said.

"It wasn't ne-," she began before he cut her off.

"If you're trying to revive the dead, it's Necromancy. There are so few cases in which it works right, it's foolish beyond belief to try. For one, there's no guarantee you'd have restored her to the intended state. What you would've brought back would've been a shell. The dead are best left buried," Strider said, sighing heavily.

"I know that now," Ultear whispered.

"And so now, you're looking for… what, redemption?" he asked.

"As close to it as we can find. I don't think we can really redeem what we've done," Meredy said. Strider looked at both of them with piercing eyes before nodding.

"What?" Ultear asked.

"Nothing. I don't know about your situations; nor am I in any position to pass judgment. You're on the right path, I guess. It won't extinguish or purge your past… but you're on the right path. I… suppose that counts for something," Strider said. The comment elicited a smile from the two. They soon heard a pattering behind them; Erza and Jellal were back.

"Could I speak with you?" he asked Strider.

"Sure," Strider nodded.

-o-

"Erza's told me about you. You appear to be quite a capable wizard," Jellal said.

"She's too kind," Strider said.

"She is," Jellal said with a small laugh. "She's told you about me, I suppose?"

"She has. The Tower of Heaven," Strider said.

"Erza and I were both slaves there. Soon after we started a revolt, I was taken in and tortured. There, I became possessed by what I thought was the spirit of Zeref. He told me I could have what I wanted if I continued construction on the tower to revive him. I listened - my greatest mistake. Eventually, Natsu and Erza stopped me. I helped them against the Oracion Seis not long after. After that, I was imprisoned. From there, you know what happened," Jellal said.

"I see," Strider said.

"I brought you here to ask you for your help. The others… forgave me after what happened with the Seis, although I haven't yet forgiven myself. I wish for us to move forward. Erza… speaks highly of you, and so…," he trailed off.

"As I told Meredy and Ultear, I don't know the whole situation. If you're being honest - and it seems as though the others believe you are, considering what they're going through - I'll trust their judgment," Strider said.

"Thank you, Strider. I app-," Jellal was suddenly cut off.

He felt himself fall to his knees, his body refusing to obey his behind. He attempted to use his magic, but neither his fingers nor lips would move; he was completely helpless. The only thing he could move were his eyes, and they sound traveled to Striders. The sight was terrifying; the twinkle that was usually in Strider's eyes was gone, replaced by a colder, more malevolent look. Jellal could feel it as fury radiated off of him, the wind stalling and obeying Striders anger. Suddenly, he felt his hands begin to move to his throat. Slowly, but surely, they began to squeeze, cutting off circulation; his own body was turning on him. Gasping for air did nothing; finally, however, the hands stopped as Strider leaned in.

"I'll trust their judgment, but I'll be watchful. I only just got them back - after everything that had happened there. If I get even the slightest feeling that you're going to betray them or put them in harm's way for no reason - I will make you feel _every bit of suffering you ever caused_. There's no place in this world that I can't find you. I'll level everything in my way. I will find you, and then I'll break you like I broke Acnologia," Strider whispered. Jellal's eyes widened at the suggestion of what happened to the dragon. Suddenly, Strider drew Anglachel and leveled it across Jellal's neck. The Wizard felt the sword vibrate gently as it longed to cut it off and drink his blood.

"You think you know pain? One wrong move - one - and I will make you _beg_ for something as sweet as pain," Strider said as the wind began to whip furiously around them. Jellal marked the significant surge of magical power in the vicinity before he felt himself regain control of his body. He waited before Strider to sheath his sword before slowly getting back up.

"One chance," Strider said. "Tell me you understand."

"I… yes, I understand," Jellal nodded.

"Good. Keep this in mind, Wizard. I'm not as kind or as forgiving as my friends are. One wrong move," Strider said before he turned his back on Jellal.

-o-

As the three former Dark Wizards finally got a reprieve, Jellal told them what happened.

"You couldn't do anything?" Meredy asked in surprise.

"It was as though he shut my Magic off," Jellal said.

"That's impossible," Ultear said. She'd heard of Wizards that could block others magic temporarily, but a strong enough was would've been able to overcome that, and Jellal was as strong as they came.

"If it was, it isn't now. I've never felt anything like it," Jellal said, massaging his neck.

"He's the one that had beaten Azuma, Rustyrose, and Hades," Ultear said.

"He implied something else as well," Jellal said.

"What?" Meredy wondered.

"That he slew Acnologia," Jellal gulped.

" _What?_ " Meredy and Ultear asked, shocked.

"I asked Erza about it before we left. She confirmed it," Jellal said.

"How the hell could he slay a dragon?" Ultear asked.

"He's from the Northern Continent. As I understood from her, things work differently there - magic, as well. He's supposedly an exceptional wizard with a wide range of magic. She told me a bit about his past," Jellal said, filling them in what he told her.

"My God," Ultear said, gasping. The story was close to sickening.

"They… cannibals?" Meredy asked in horror.

"Apparently. That doesn't explain his power, though. It should be impossible for someone that young to be so powerful," Jellal said.

"Maybe he was born with it?" Ultear suggested, remembering her own past.

"It doesn't seem like it. She told me about one of his mentors, who appeared to have an impact on him. Still, for someone who looks so young, that's still not enough time, I think," Jellal said.

"Maybe he ages differently?" Meredy suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous, Meredy," Ultear said, giggling slightly at the suggestion.

"Well… at least he's on our side, right?" Meredy said, smiling a bit.

"Right. I just hope it stays that way. If he can shut magic off… I'm not sure how to stand up against that," Ultear said.

"He doesn't seem to be the kind of man that would throw in with Zeref. His methods are a bit… rough, but considering the circumstances, perhaps we got off easy," Jellal said.

"I don't doubt that, but that much power? He might be as much of a threat in the future, if not more than Zeref," Utter said.

"Regardless, we'll have to learn more about him," Jellal said, his mind drifting to the sword.

"Agreed," Meredy and Ultear nodded.

-o-

"Alright, listen up brats! The games are about kick off and we still have to get to Crocus! the teams are decided!" Makarov boomed to the guild as most of the members came back.

"Wait, where's Gildarts?" Bisca wondered.

"The crusty old bastard left," Makarov grumbled, eliciting a laugh from the others.

"Don't keep us waiting, gramps! What's the team?!" Natsu asked.

"NATSU!" Makarov yelled.

"Alright!" Natsu exclaimed.

"GRAY!" Makarov yelled.

"YES!" Gray said excitedly.

"ERZA!" Makarov yelled.

"Thank you, Master," Erza said, bowing a bit.

"LUCY!" Makarov yelled.

"WHAT?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"AND WENDY!" Makarov yelled again.

"HUH?!" the bluenette asked, surprised.

"Why not Strider?! Or Gajeel? Or Laxus?!" Lucy inquired.

"I'd ask them, but they don't seem to be here right now," Makarov said, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples.

 _'Where'd those damn kids run off to?'_ he wondered.

"Where's Strider?" Mira asked Erza.

"I could've sworn he was here a minute ago," Natsu said, looking around.

"It's not like him to miss this," Cana said worriedly.

"I'm sure he's fine. Probably a bit tired. He did have that flight, remember?" Juvia added.

"Elfman will be the reserve member for the team," Makarov added.

"That's… manly, I guess," Elfman grumbled.

"Mira, would you please go find Strider for me? There's something I need to tell you, Laxus, Gajeel, and Juvia. Freed, please go find Laxus; and Levy, do the same for Gajeel. Meet us in Crocus soon," Makarov said to the three.

-o-

As everyone else set off for the City of Flowers, Mira was busy looking for Strider. She checked his room, the fountain where they had their first "date", the East Forest, various restaurants, and more but couldn't find him. Finally, she made her way to the damn that led to the badlands, where she saw him sitting on it, gazing out at the water.

"Strider?" she asked softly.

"Hmmm? Oh hey, Mira - what's wrong?" he wondered.

"Everyones already set out for Crocus," she said.

"WAIT! WHAT?! What about the team?! What about me?!" he exclaimed, jumping up. He groaned in pain as he felt the pressure around his feet, but suppressed it.

"Natsu, Gray, Erza, Wendy, and Lucy are on the main team, while Elf is the reserve. Master said to get you and that we need to meet him, along with Gajeel, Laxus, and Juvia. We're going to meet them in Crocus," she said.

"Alright. Well, let's go," Strider said.

"Alright, we'll - HEY!" she exclaimed, suddenly beginning to levitate. "What're you doing?"

"What better way to travel than by flight?" he wondered.

"Shouldn't we try to catch the others if we can?" Mira asked.

"We'll see them soon enough, I imagine. Unless you feel uncomfortable, in which case we can go by land," he said.

"No, it's fine. This… feels really nice," she said, smiling. While she was no stranger to flight, it was almost always in her demon form.

"Which way?" he wondered.

"There," she said, pointing towards the horizon.

"Onwards and upwards," Strider said as they rocketed into space and out of sight.

"Wow," Mira breathed, never having flown so high before. The setting sun bathed the sky in a light orange glow, illuminating as far as she could see over the horizon. She took a moment to enjoy the beauty as the air whipped across her face. Just below, she could see the clouds. She held out her arms and stretched, longing to touch one.

Sensing her need, Strider descended them slightly as they began to fly through the clouds. She felt the wetness and coldness for a moment before it suddenly stopped, his telekinesis keeping it at bay. Smiling, she closed her eyes and just took the light feeling in. Slowly, they ascended again, seeing the majesty of the orange sky. It was something else, she thought - being able to fly without having to do so yourself. Looking over at him, she saw a bright smile, like a child having the utmost fun. His hair whipped around his face, while his entire being seemed to be at peace.

She felt them slow down a bit as the sun finally settled and the watchful night descended. Mira gasped as the stars illuminated their path. She had never seen such a clear and beautiful sky before as light pollution was a constant problem in Magnolia. She stared up in wonder, reaching out to touch the shimmering lights that had never felt so close before. She could perfectly make out each one.

"I like to come up here when I can. It's always a beautiful sight," Strider told her.

"It's…," was all Mira said, unable to put the rest into words.

"Wow. It's quite bright down there," Strider said in surprise. Mira looked down and nodded; Crocus was always quite lively, but with the Grand Magic Games, it appeared to be even more booming.

-o-

"I wonder where the others are?" Mira wondered as she and Strider made their way through the busy streets.

"Probably a hotel, if I had to guess," Strider said.

"You guys! Here!" they heard a familiar voice say.

"Hey, Cana," Mira said.

"What took you two so long? Don't tell me you we-," she began before being cut off by Mira's She-Devil aura. "Ha. Joking."

"Ugh," Mira grumbled, leading them inside.

"I see we're still waiting on Gajeel and Laxus," Makarov said.

"What about the Team?" Strider wondered.

"Ah. Funny thing about that, my boy. Each guild is allowed to play _two_ teams. You, Mirajane, Juvia, Gajeel, and Laxus will be Team Two, with Cana as your reserve," Makarov said with a grin.

"How soon until the event begins, Master?" Mira wondered.

"A couple of hours. No one knows what the event will be, though. You'll find out as you start," Makarov said.

"What do we do until then?" Cana asked.

"Enjoy the city! Just be back here in two hours," Makarov said.

-o-

"I believe Jenny mentioned something about this place," Strider said.

"You remember?" Mira asked.

"Oh yeah," Strider said, cracking a smile.

"This is where we do most of our shoots," Mira said, beginning to show him around.

"Do you enjoy modeling?" he wondered.

"For the most part, yeah. It pays really well and I have a lot of fun doing it. It's been a while now, though, I guess. Jenny's the top model now," she said.

"Do I sense a bit of competition?" Strider asked.

"We're both parts of guilds as well, remember? We're competitive by nature," Mira said with a coy smile.

"Who's sold more issues?" he asked.

"By now? I'd say Jenny. Before, I was in the lead," Mira said.

"Going to win your rightful spot back?" he asked jokingly.

"Oh, definitely. I can't let her get _too_ comfortable," Mira said. "Speaking of which, I wonder where she is? She'll probably be competing in the games, either as part of the main team or a reserve. She's pretty strong as well."

"Beautiful and deadly. Perfect," Strider said.

"Speaking of which…," Mira trailed off, rounding on him.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"The night of the party, you two were alone. What happened?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

"Ah, Mira. You can't expect me to tell you _that_ , can you?" Strider laughed.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"Well, do you want me to tell you? Or would you rather I show you?" Strider asked, leaning in close. He laughed as Mira turned a bright red, feeling her warm up at the inflection. "Careful. You're burning up."

"You're an asshole," she grumbled, exhaling in delight as she felt him wrap an arm around her.

"My apologies. That said, it's fun," Strider said.

"I'll get my revenge on you someday," she said.

"I look forward to it. That aside, what to do for two hours?" he wondered.

"Not really that much we can do in two hours, honestly. We'll need a few days to see _everything_ ," she said.

"I don't mind," Strider said.

"Nor do I. Do… do you want to stick around for a little while after the Games end?" Mira asked, blushing as she asked.

"I'd love to," Strider said. She flashed him a dazzling smile, heart racing a bit faster as she added a bit more pep in her step. They only got a bit further when there was a small explosion. As she saw it, Mira rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Get too many Wizards in the same place at once and egos clash," she said.

"Still, we should check it out. Hope no one's hurt," Strider said.

-o-

As Mira and Strider arrived, they saw that Natsu and a blond haired man were almost in each other's faces. Off to the side stood a black haired man. Unusually, both had two Exceeds at their side; one green, wearing a cute spotted-pink frog costume, and the other reddish-brown wearing a blue shirt.

"What was that?" Strider heard Natsu say, grinding his teeth.

"You heard me. A Dragon Slayer that couldn't defeat a dragon? Pathetic," the blond said. He was slim with spiky blond hair, blue eyes, and a muscular physique. He wore a brown shirt with a gray feather boa and cream pants with black suspenders. HIs partner had black hair and eyes, wearing a black robe and had a scar over his nose. Both appeared to be as old as Natsu and had a white guild symbol.

"You be- Strider!" Natsu suddenly said, head turning toward his friend.

"Hey there, Natsu. Everything alright?" Strider asked, his eyes washing over the two.

"Just have to deal with these two jerks," Natsu said, grinding his teeth.

"Not a good idea, I think. They appear to be here for the Grand Magic Games, in any case. Best to wait until then," Strider said.

"Come on, we can take them! Did you hear what they said?!" Natsu asked.

"I did. It's nothing to get upset over, though. Take it easy," Strider said calmly, resting a hand on his shoulder. Natsu sighed and nodded, shooting the two a glance before taking his leave.

"And who're you?" the blond asked, his partner finally at his side.

"Just another member of Fairy Tail. Who might you be?" Strider asked.

"Names Sting. Sabretooth and Dragon Slayer," he said with a grin.

"Rogue. The same," he answered.

"You two are Dragon Slayers?" Mira asked in surprise.

"Got that right. Stings a Third Generation Dragon Slayer. Not only was he raised by a Dragon, but he had a Dragon Lacrima planted in his body. He's more powerful than any First or Second Generation Dragon Slayer," his Exceed partner said proudly.

"And what's a First or Second Generation Dragon Slayer?" Strider asked.

"First Generation Dragon Slayers were taught by Dragons; Second Generation Dragon Slayers have Lacrimas implanted in them," Rogue answered.

"Like Laxus, then," Mira told Strider.

"Interesting. So you two have slain Dragons, then?" Strider asked.

"We wouldn't be Dragon Slayers if we didn't," Sting said.

"So you two are from the same guild as Natsu, then. Fairy Tail. Finally back," Sting said.

"That we are. And judging from your guild mark, I'd guess Sabretooth? The current top guild?" Strider wondered.

"That's right. Five years running," Sting said proudly.

"I look forward to seeing you in battle," Strider said, turning.

"There's no need to wait until the Games if you want to settle it now," Sting said.

"Sting," Rogue said sharply.

"Just offering," Sting said, backing away a few paces. Strider looked at Mira, who shook her head.

"We don't want to get in trouble. Can't get the Guild disqualified before the matches even begin," she said.

"Right. Afraid not," Strider said, beginning to walk away.

"Hmph. Coward," Sting said, taking his leave with the others.

-o-

"I'm kind of hoping I come across him in a fight," Strider sighed.

"Does seem like a jerk. Just because you're the best doesn't mean you can bully others," Mira said angrily.

"Up to us to show them who's _really_ top dog," Strider said.

"Hmm. You've never really struck me as the competitive type," Mira smiled.

"I don't really think I am, but sometimes you have to knock someone down a peg. I've always enjoyed doing that. One of life's greatest pleasures, if I had to name them," Strider said.

"I'll say. Erza, Natsu," she sighed.

"They're both pretty strong. I just have the advantage of a little more practice and a… perhaps _too_ versatile magic," Strider said.

"I'm sure you have a weakness," Mira smirked.

"Beautiful women," he sighed.

"Ha-ha," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Let's get back to the hotel. I imagine our two hours are almost up," Strider said.

-o-

"What the _hell_ is this place?!" Gajeel yelled hilariously.

"A different dimension? Interesting," Strider said, looking around.

"Which way is up? Or down?" Juvia asked, feeling queasy.

"Where do we go?" Laxus asked.

"You and Gajeel are the ones with improved senses. Tell us," Mira grumbled.

"Alright… so we have to get to the finish line - some door - and we have to make sure we don't fall down, otherwise… we're dead or disqualified. That shouldn't be a problem, at the very least," Strider said. They all felt a sensation wash over their bodies.

"What was that?" Gajeel asked, looking at his hands.

"No danger of falling. Thank you, telekinesis," Strider said.

"Ha! The others are fucked," Gajeel said, smiling evilly.

"It does seem a bit like cheating," Mira giggled.

"Yeah, but fuck 'em," Strider laughed. They set out after Gajeel and Laxus, who took the lead.

"IT'S FAIRY TAIL!" they suddenly heard someone shout from above them.

"Will you look at that," Gajeel said, punching a fist into his hand. He looked at Laxus who smiled back at him. The next the other Guild knew, they were falling off of the platform. Strider whistled as he saw them descend further and further.

"That doesn't look very pleasant," he mused.

"That was mean," Juvia sighed.

"I blame them for attacking us," Laxus shrugged.

"Yup," Gajeel said.

"Yeah, right. If they said hi, you two still would've done that," Mira sighed.

"Whatever. Let's keep going this way," Gajeel said.

-o-

"Oh, what's this?" Mira wondered as she picked up a scrap of paper from another team that Laxus and Gajeel had eliminated.

"It appears to be a map," Juvia said, looking over her shoulder.

"Why didn't we think of that?!" Gajeel asked.

"I didn't think a map would be helpful in this case. Guess I misjudged the situation. This one actually makes some sense. Maybe if we got more pieces? I imagine other teams have had the same idea," Strider said.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Gajeel asked with a devilish grin.

"If you think that I'm saying that you and Laxus should go all out on everyone we come across… then yes," Strider chuckled.

"Well speak of the Devil," Laxus said, looking over Strider's shoulder. Another guild was approaching them. Cracking their knuckles, the two Dragon Slayers got to work.

"Not going to join?" Mira asked.

"Ah, no. Gajeel and Laxus are having way to much fun. Wouldn't want to spoil that," Strider said.

"I hope the others are doing alright," Mira sighed.

"They've got Erza and Wendy leading them. If they don't make it, I'll be surprised," Strider said.

"Yeah, but they also have Gray and Natsu. Hopefully, they fight the other teams instead of themselves," Mira said.

"They know when it's time to get serious. If not, Master Makarov won't be happy," Strider said.

"Don't I know it. We can't let the others down," Mira said defiantly.

"We won't," Strider said, resting a hand on her shoulder. As he did so, Juvia took his hand and put it on her shoulder, crossing her arms over her chests and puffing her cheeks slightly. Strider chuckled as he continued to watch Gajeel and Laxus have the time of their lives kicking ass and taking maps.

-o-

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE MADE IT!" Natsu declared.

"Congratulations on 8th Place, Fairy Tail," said the mascot of the Grand Magic Games, Mato - a pumpkin-head wearing diminutive man.

"WHAT?! EIGHT PLACE?!" Gray asked, shocked.

"Hey, it's better than nothing, am I right?" Mato asked.

"This is embarrassing. That said, we've made it," Erza sighed.

"I just hope Wendy's alright," Lucy said, feeling her heart fall.

-o-

"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Mira asked in shock.

"It's Wendy. We… found her with her Magic drained, in the gardens," Makarov said, rubbing his temples.

"Who?" Strider asked, suppressing his anger from rising.

"We're not sure. All we know is that she and Carla were in the gardens, their Magic drained. She mentioned something about being attacked by some small creature, but we're not what it was," Makarov said.

"When we find out…," Gajeel said, grinding his teeth audibly. The guild looked out for the young girl, and an attack on her was an attack on all of them.

"Max, Warren, Bisca, Alzack, and the Thunder Legion are on it right now," Makarov said.

"You don't think it was him, do you?" Laxus frowned.

"Mmm… perhaps. Ravel Tail," Makarov said, eyes narrowing.

"Wouldn't put it past them," Gajeel frowned.

"Raven Tail?" Strider asked.

"My son, Ivan, runs their guild. They only recently got registered," Makarov said. Strider nodded, deciding not to push the point for the moment.

"We should get to our places. We'll be announced soon," Juvia said. The others walked in tow, their minds and hearts ablaze.

-o-

"Welcome, welcome, one and all to Domus Flau! Welcome to the start of the Grand Magic Games - now in their fifth year! I'm your announcer, Chapati, and I'm joined here by Mr. Yajima and the beautiful Jenny Realight!" Chapati, one of the announcers, said to a thunderous applause. Yajima waved slightly while Jenny gave out - and got in return - a huge cheer. The games had begun at last and excitement was at an all-time high for everyone.

"Without further ado, let's introduce the winners from last night's Sky Labyrinth! For those of you just joining us today, the task was to complete a maze where you couldn't tell up from down or left from right - and still find a way to the door at the end! Eight lucky teams made it, while more than one hundred teams were eliminated! Introducing eighth place, Fairy Tail!" Chapati roared.

Waving and smiling, Natsu, Gray, Erza, Lucy, and Elfman came into view. They were met with a mighty sound.

"BOO!" half the crowd yelled at the wizards.

"YOU SUCK!" the other half told them.

Peppered with boos, the team was taken aback.

"They're booing us?!" Gray exclaimed as the team took their place below a large number eight.

Suddenly, they heard a cheer cut through. They smiled as they saw their family and friends, Fairy Tail, happily cheering them on. To their surprise, however, there was another young figure that suddenly joined them.

"Master Mavis?!" Makarov exclaimed, surprised to see the first guild master. "What're you doing here?"

"I came to cheer Fairy Tail!" she said happily, putting her hands up and cheering wildly. "Don't worry, only those with the Fairy Tell crest can see me."

"I see… Well, welcome, First Master," Makarov said, bowing slightly.

"Even Master Mavis came out to cheer us on," Natsu grinned. "We got this!"

"Next in seventh place, we have Quatro Cerberus!" Chapati said.

"WILD!" yelled the next team as they strode into view. Wearing some wild clothes and spiked collars, the team made their way towards a number seven - Rocker, who had his hair styled into large spiky tufts and was sporting a biker jacket and black pants; Jager, a large man sporting no shirt, large fingerless gloves, and a pair of headphones; Novali, wearing his signature blue bandana, striped shirts, and black pants; Seamus, a large man wearing a black sweatshirt with a large golden "X" in the middle as well as blue and white face paint and red shorts; and Warcry, who wore the skin of a dog and blue shorts.

"In 6th place, we have Team Mermaid Heel!" Chapati yelled.

The lovely ladies from Mermaid Heel made their way out. Four of the members were waving to the crowd while the fifth, and leader, solemnly made her way to their place under a number six. They were led by Kagura, beautiful purple haired women who sported a white overcoat with black leggings and a bow atop her hair, a sheathed sword swaying alongside her. Flanking her were Beth Vanderwood, a young girl with red hair wearing blue overalls; Arana Webb, a green haired beauty wearing a yellow suit with spider webbing design; Risley, a short and stout woman who wore a bra and blue shorts; and Millianna, a young woman with a catlike appearance. She wore a purple cape, with black and purple leggings, gloves, and a bikini. She grinned wide as she saw Erza.

"ERZY!" she yelled, running at the scarlet haired mage, who seemed surprised to see her. The two old friends locked in a hug, not having seen each other for a long time.

"Millianna! I didn't know you were competing?" Erza said, smiling wide.

"Yup! Looks like we're going toe to toe," Millianna said, smiling.

"Millianna," Kagura said.

"Sorry, Erzy. I'll see you later!" she said happily as she went to join her team.

"In 5th place, Blue Pegasus!" Chapati said.

As they were announced, Jenny loudly cheered her teammates on. The women in the audience led out a sizable applause as the team from Blue Pegasus are out. Ichiya was flanked by his Trimens - Ren, Hibiki, and Eve. Also in attendance was someone in a blue bunny suit. Oddly enough, no one said anything about the mystery figure.

"Next, we have Lamia Scale!" he exclaimed.

Lyon came out, flanked by Jura, Yuka, and Toby. Also in attendance was a young girl who looked like Sherry - her cousin, Shelia Blendy. As they took their place, Lyon and Gray smiled competitively at each other.

"In third, we have Raven Tail!" Chapati said.

Appearing from an ominous black wind arrived the team that had just been legalized as a guild. In front stood a man wearing a furred cape and gold and purple armor, holding the Raven Tail standard - Alexi. Flanking him were Nallpudding, a short purple troll like man wearing a cloak and with a devious smile on his face; Flare, a busty redhead wearing a revealing red dress that had a slit through the front middle down to her waist; Blacksnake, wearing a black shirt and pants; and Obra, a towering figure that seemed to wear a mask.

"Ivan," came a voice from the crowd - Master Makarov. Makarov had his eyes on Raven Tail for a long time, even having Gajeel pose as an agent for them. He planned to keep a close eye on them throughout the games.

"Next we have… hang on. Well, this is a surprise…" Chapati said, eyes shooting up in surprise.

The crowd and teams were shocked. Thunder hit the arena as it formed the shape of the Fairy Tail guild emblem.

"What the…?" Natsu said.

Finally, the bright light subsided, replaced with another team from Fairy Tail. In the middle was Gajeel, smirking at Natsu. On his right was Laxus, eyes closed and arms crossed, and Juvia. On his left were Mira, hands on her hips and smiling at her opposing team members and Strider, hands folded behind his back as he smiled serenely at the competition.

"Now this is a surprise, folks! It looks as though Fairy Tail has two teams competing this year!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Master, what's going on?" Lucy asked aloud.

"HAHAHAHA! You like that?! This is how Fairy Tail handles business!" Makarov yelled in manic delight, making the metal sign with his fingers and jutting it to the sky.

"Why does Fairy Tail get two teams? It because they suck so much?!" Rocker asked.

"Heh. Of course, they got two teams in. I wouldn't expect anything less," Hibiki said, smiling.

In the crowd, a man with a wild smile on his face looked on - Ivan Dreyar.

"Well, well, well! It looks like Gajeel and Laxus are joining the party - that should be interesting. But who's this, I wonder?" he asked himself, looking at Strider.

"Mr. Yajima, I think some of our fans may be confused. Would you like to explain?" Chapati asked.

"Certainly. This year, the rules allowed for each guild to enter _two_ teams. The organizers thought it would make it more exciting. It's why so many were eliminated last night," Yajima said.

"I don't think they thought this through. Won't having two teams be an unfair advantage?" Chapati asked.

"You worry too much. I don't think it'll be a problem," Yajima said.

"Well, if you ask if, it's totally unfair. I mean, what if one of the events is a battle royale? The Fairy Tail members could team up," Jenny said.

"Well, I guess that's what they get for being the only guild to get two teams through," Chapati said.

"Way to go, Mocky," Yajima said, laughing. Makarov laughed in return.

"This doesn't change a thing!" Natsu said, approaching Team B. "I don't give a crap if you're in my guild! For the rest of the games, you are my enemy!"

"Heh. I look forward to making you eat dirt, Salamander," Gajeel said, leaning in closer.

"Juvia," Gray nodded.

"I look forward to facing you, my former love," Juvia said, eliciting a deadpan glance.

"What's the matter? You look terrified?" Mira asked Elf, smiling delightfully at him.

"It's because I am!" Elfman said, sheer terror in him.

"Strider," Erza said.

"Erza. This should be fun," Strider said.

"That man. He's the one you call Strider?" Mavis asked Makarov.

"Indeed. A very capable wizard," Makarov replied.

"I can tell," she replied, looking intently at Strider. Feeling her gaze, Strider looked back and smiled.

"Something wrong, first master?" Makarov asked.

"I don't think so. I don't sense any malevolence coming from him. Hmmm… what is his story, sixth master?" she asked.

"I'm actually the seventh master," Makarov said.

"No, you're the sixth," everyone deadpanned in reply. As Makarov delved into Strider, Chapati announced the final team.

"And finally, our first place team - Sabertooth!" he yelled.

The crowd began to roar as the members made their way out. Sting and Rogue looked at Strider, who smiled lightly at them, his eyes shifting between everyone on their team. Behind them were Rufus, a man wearing a red coat with a white, long-sleeved white shirt, and khaki pants and topped off with a red hat with a long white boa; Yukino, a beautiful woman with white hair that came to her cheeks; she wore a pale blue-white cloak, which covered most of her figure; and Olga, a large, muscled man with wild blue hair, a talon necklace, and a stern look.

"Welcome, all of our competitors. Choose your members to compete in the first event: Hidden!" Chapati said.


	18. Grand Magic Games: Day 1 - Domination

**Just a quick note - this will be the beginning of the Grand Magic Games arc. There will be 5 days for the GMG, with a 6th for the Final event. The Seven Dragons Arc will be its own chapter; and after that, the Guilds will be sticking around Crocus for a couple of special events - one of which will be used for opening up the other countries of Ishgar.**

 **-o-**

"I got this one," Gray said, rolling his neck.

"Better win this, Elsa," Natsu told him.

"Too bad you're not on the other team. Otherwise, we could settle this once and for all," Gray said, getting in his best friends face for the umpteenth time.

"Anytime, anywhere," Natsu responded.

"Will you two settle down for once!" Erza barked, eliciting a meek " _aye_ " from the two.

-o-

"I will participate in the first event. Watch closely, my love!" Juvia said dramatically to Strider, turning a crimson shade of red.

"I will, Juvia. Best of luck out there," Strider said with a smile. Almost instantly, she and the other contestants were teleported to the city of Crocus, with Domus Flau visible in the distance.

"Amazing. Are they really going to be doing this in the city? Or is that a mirror dimension?" Strider asked, intrigued.

"Mmm, I don't think it's another dimension. From what I learned about these Games from the others, everyone that lives here comes to watch. The city is completely empty for the duration of the Games," Mira said.

"It's a hell of an operation," he mused, setting his eyes at last on a large titantron that showed each of the contestants.

-o-

"Alright, pumpkins, here's the first event of the games. Hidden! Chapati, take it away!" Mato exclaimed.

"Welcome, competitors, to Hidden! You eight are unaware of where everyone else is in the city. The goal here is to earn as many points as possible. You will earn one point when you land an attack, physical or magical, on another participant. But beware! The city is littered with clones that are almost exactly identical to you. If you attack one of the clones, you will lose a point. Good luck!" Chapati said, and with that, they were off.

-o-

As Mato ended, multiple Gray's and Lyon's began to appear around Juvia's position.

"Hmph," Juvia said, turning her nose up and walking away.

-o-

"I'm impressed. If she was still into Gray, she probably would've hugged those clones to death," Mira giggled.

"I believe that Lyon is into Juvia as well," Strider said.

"Too bad for him. She only has eyes for one person," Mira teased.

"Can't blame her," Strider shrugged, eliciting an eye roll from Mira.

-o-

 _'If only it was Strider, my love,'_ Juvia thought. A swarm of close Striders would've sent her into ecstasy, she thought. _'But I must win for him! He's watching!'_

-o-

Gray had quickly sprung into an attack as he saw a clone of Nullpudding, the purple testicle-chinned troll of Raven Tail. To Gray's immense surprise, it was a clone.

 _'I swear I saw it move!'_ Gray thought, regretting his moment of hesitation soon. The real Nullpudding was close by; silently and quickly, he quickly sprang to attack. Both Fairy Tail teams were soon at -1, while Raven Tail was the first to score a point. Gray's body rematerialized in a different part of the city while a smug Nullpudding quickly went after, following his scent through the city. Gray had barely gotten his bearings again when Nullpudding struck and receded again.

"What the hell is with this guy?" Gray cursed under his breath., nursing his pride as he went through the city. He hadn't gotten far along when he was attacked by Beth from Mermaid Tail. Gray was bewildered as carrots flew at him.

 _'SERIOUSLY?! VEGETABLE MAGIC?! GODDAMN, WHAT THE HELL!?'_ he thought. Chancing a look, he saw Beth get knocked out by Jager of Quatro Cerberus, who was paid in kind by Lyon. Lyon had just turned his sights to Gray, a smirk on his face when a shadow had overtaken both of them. Lyon blushed as he saw Heaven in the form of Juvia, paying exactly zero attention to the heel that was aimed directly at him. Julia deftly landed a kick, a blubbering Lyon at her feet.

"Juvia!" Gray finally exclaimed.

"Hello, former darling. Forgive me, but today we are sworn enemies!" Juvia said.

"Huh?" Gray said bewildered.

"As our team gathered, Master mentioned that the team that loses must obey the other for a whole week. And as my beloved Strider is watching, my resolve is higher than ever!" Juvia said.

-o-

"MASTER?!" Erza roared in shock. Makarov replied with a booming laugh that was heard throughout the stadium.

"That's right! Whoever loses doesn't just lose the games, but their dignity!" he exclaimed in manic delight.

-o-

"Master Makarov can certainly induce… a touch of evil into his voice. I've never seen someone shift between the two so easily," Strider said.

"That's putting it mildly," Laxus sighed.

"That's why we have to win. I can't wait to order Erza around," Mira giggled.

"Oh? What would you have her do?" Strider wondered. Mira smirked as she brought his head down and began whispering into her ear. Gajeel and Laxus grimaced as they picked up on what the beauty had in mind, while Strider struggled to hold in his laughter.

-o-

Unfortunately for Juvia and Gray, their momentary lapse was enough for another opening. Nullpudding came up and attacked both of them, scoring two more points for Raven Tail while sending Juvia back to -1 and Gray to -2.

As the two rematerialized, they saw something white begin to fall from the sky:

"Snow," they heard Jenny say over the loudspeaker.

The cold started to effect several of the participating members, excluding Juvia, Lyon, and Gray - who were unfettered by the cold and were on the prowl soon enough. Eve quickly used his Snow Magic to his advantage, landing quick hits on Beth, Jager, and Nullpudding - all of whom were shivering intensely.

-o-

"Hmm," Strider said, narrowing his eyes.

"What is it?" Mira asked.

"I wonder where the other guy is? There's supposed to be one more. He hasn't made a move," Strider said.

-o-

The well dressed Rufus stood atop a cathedral, smiling as the brim of his hat covered his eyes. Having not acted thus far, he simply observed the movement below. Finally, he tilted his hat forward a bit more.

"Night of Shooting Stars!" he exclaimed. Without warning, brilliant flashes of light shot from him and radiated throughout the city below. The attacked landed a hit on everyone, save for Nullpudding who only narrowly evaded him. Sabertooth immediately jumped ahead of the rest of the pack.

-o-

"Impressive," Strider said.

"That was insane," Mira said, surprised by the attack.

"Hmph. About time the pretty boy made his move," Gajeel said shortly.

-o-

"ALRIGHT!" Lector exclaimed, resting on Sting's shoulder. The other members of Sabertooth looked on, pleased with the result.

-o-

Nullpudding made his way towards Rufus; attacking, he quickly found out it was a clone. Without warning, Nullpudding was struck from the side by the real Rufus.

"Pathetic," Rufus said as he gracefully made his way through the city, making short work.

-o-

As the match continued, Gray grew more and more impatient. He was trailing everyone else significantly, with Nullpudding focusing solely on him. As the match timer counted down, it was evident to him that he wouldn't be scoring a point. His heart felt ready to burst as the feeling of letting down his guild after so many years weighed heavily on him.

 _'DAMN IT!'_ he roared internally as another attack from Nullpudding set him down another point.

Finally, the match came to in end; Sabertooth was first, followed by Raven Tail and Lamia Scale in second and third. Fairy Tail Teams A and B were seventh and eighth.

' _I let them down,'_ Juvia thought, struggling to hold back tears. Her mind went to Master Makarov and the guild before narrowing on Strider. She quickly clapped her hands over her eyes as the dams burst free.

 _'I let them down. I let them down. I can't believe it! SEVENTH! I COULDN'T DO A THING!'_ she thought angrily.

-o-

The crowd jeered Fairy Tail as Gray and Juvia quickly made their way to their respective dugouts.

"Gray-," Lucy began, but Gray simply shook his head as he brushed passed her. He paused as he was shoulder to shoulder with Natsu, unable to look his best friend in the eye. Imperceptibly, Natsu nodded. Gulping, Gray returned the nod and took his leave. As the crowd continued to jeer, Elfman and Gray had to forcibly restrain Natsu from acting.

"I'm going to kick their asses if they don't shut up," he growled.

-o-

"Juvia-," Mira began but the Water Mage just brushed past her, tears hitting the ground.

"Give her a few hours," Strider said gently. Mira simply nodded, turning back to listen to the next announcement.

-o-

"Well ladies and gentlemen, that was a doozy! The first event of the day is over, so you know what that means! BATTLES! That's right - the events that EVERYONE has been waiting for are now here! Now, we have four singles matches to look forward to. The rules are simple - each match will be 30 minutes long and the winner will be determined by knockout, submission, or "I QUIT!" Winning teams get ten points and in the event of a draw, both teams will get five. For our first match of the day, we have Lucy Heartfilia of Fairy Tail versus… Flare Corona of Raven Tail!" Chapati roared to a thunderous applause.

-o-

Lucy was quick to get on the offense.

"Open, Gate of the Golden Bull - TAURUS!" she exclaimed, summoning the perverted ax-wielding spirit. His brute strength was no match for Flare's stunning agility. The long haired mage easily dodged every swipe of the ax, forcing Lucy to rethink her strategy.

"Open, Gate of the Scorpion - SCORPIO!" Lucy yelled, summoning the Sand Spirit. His attacks were no use against Flare, who used her Hair Magic to deflect everything.

Despite not landing a successful blow yet, the crowd was enamored by Lucy being able to summon two spirits at once. The two spirits soon began to work in conjunction; their onslaught soon proved effective as Taurus finally landed a blow, buffeting Flare back considerably.

Mid-air, Flare went on the offensive. Her hair began to extend in length and flew towards Lucy. Thinking quickly, Lucy summoned Cancer, the Giant Crab. The stylist spirit quickly cut Flares hair away.

"Oh, you bitch," Flare snarled, insulted. "TAKE THIS!"

Flares hair began to burrow through the ground, putting Lucy on edge. The hair soon erupted at Lucy's feet, sending her flying. Pressing her advantage, the hair wrapped around her legs and crunched her back into the ground.

"Ugh. So that's how you want to play it, huh?" Lucy said, slowly getting up. Reaching for her skirt, she pulled off the whip that she kept latched to it. A long strand of water quickly erupted from the handle and wrapped around Flares wrist. She answered in kind by wrapping her hair around Lucy; and with a quick flick, both women erupted the other into the air. As gravity worked its magic, Lucy got up again, confident in her stance.

-o-

"Lucy's doing well," Strider noted, slightly surprised.

"You didn't think she would?" Mira asked.

"I suppose I should've had more faith. She's always been the most pacifistic on the team," Strider said, smiling.

-o-

"GO LUCY!" Lucy heard Natsu exclaim.

"Neither lady is giving an inch! What a match!" Chapati yelled to the crowd, who roared their excitement.

"Now you're going to get it blondie!" Flare snarled as she sent her hair underground once again. Lucy prepared for the attack, but to her surprise, it never came. She looked on confusedly at Flare, who nodded her head towards where her guildmates were. As Lucy looked, her heart fell; Flare's hair had emerged and it was right behind Aska, who didn't seem to notice. The moments drop in attention was all Flare needed to launch an all-out offensive. The hair began to rocket Lucy back and forth, brutalizing the blonde.

-o-

"What's going on?" Mira asked, grimacing at each hit that Lucy took. Strider's eyes narrowed as his eyes began to travel around the stadium. As his eyes washed over where the rest of Fairy Tail was, he saw the hair behind Aska. Strider felt a fury rise but quickly suppressed it. He quietly ducked out while the rest of his team were on edge for their guild mate.

-o-

"What's going on?!" Natsu exclaimed angrily.

"I'm not sure. Something doesn't feel right, though," Erza said, frowning.

-o-

Flare had Lucy's limbs tied up, squeezing her tightly. The brutality wasn't enough; she wanted to humiliate the blonde.

"Maybe I should strip you?" she said, licking her lips. "No, wait! I've got a better idea!"

Her hair began to contort into the shape of the Raven Tail guild mark, intent on branding Lucy. As Lucy struggled to get free, she heard a sudden voice in her mind.

 _'It's safe now,'_ she heard Strider say. Her eyes went wide open as she looked towards her guild mates again. She saw Strider's silhouette behind Aska, Flare's hair in his hands.

' _Thanks,'_ she thought back to him, feeling her heart lift again. _'Looks like I can always count on you to surprise,'_ she thought, smiling. Lucy quickly went on the offensive again while Strider quietly motioned Master Makarov to him.

-o-

"Open, Gate of the Twins - GEMINI!" Lucy exclaimed. The twin spirits attacked Flare before returning to Lucy. "It's time! Let's do it!"

The Twins adopted Lucy's form as they began to prepare the most devastating attack in her arsenal.

-o-

"No way. This is the same attack Lucy used against Angel when we fought the Seis," Hibiki said.

"Is it strong?" Ren wondered.

"If she pulls it off, this match is done," Hibiki said.

-o-

As Lucy began the process to cast the attack, the crowd looked on in excitement. The match seemed just about over when suddenly the attack stopped. Lucy looked on in shock as her attack failed. Looking to the side, Flare saw one of her team members with his arms outstretched; he had negated the attack, which had already sapped some of Lucy's strength. Flare quickly took the offensive again, focused on ending the match quickly as she feared what was going to happen to her. As Lucy crumpled on the ground, the crowd jeered again.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ten points to Raven Tail!" Chapati yelled as Flare made her exit. Lucy, however, remained - crying profusely as her mind drifted to her teammates.

 _'I lost. I lost,'_ she thought to herself. _'I'm… I'm not as strong as the others! Why did Master Makarov even choose me?! I'm not like Natsu or Erza or Gray or Wendy or even Elfman! I can't - fi - fight!'_ she thought, angrily hitting the ground.

"You did extremely well, Lucy," she suddenly heard a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw Strider standing just a few feet away, his hand extended as he smiled.

"I… failed them," Lucy cried, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"It wasn't your fault. I know that," Strider said gently.

"BUT I LOST!" she yelled.

"But you gave it your all. I know you would've won otherwise - everyone in the guild knows," Strider said.

"We…we're in last place. Because of me," she continued.

"So where do we go from here?" he asked.

"What?" Lucy asked, surprised by the question.

"If we're in last place, where do we go? There's only one place, right?" he said.

"I…," Lucy shuddered.

"Come on. This isn't like you, Lucy. You're brave. I know that and you know that. It's time to stand tall again - for yourself and the others," Strider said. Lucy looked at him through red eyes before she finally cracked a watery smiled and nodded. Taking his hand, he helped her up.

"Up. Nowhere to go but up," she said, answering his question.

"Goddamn right," Strider said, giving her a quick hug before heading towards the dugout. Lucy headed back towards hers as well, smiling slightly as she went past her team to clean up.

-o-

As Strider got back to the dugout, his anger was palpable.

"What was that about?" Laxus asked.

"Raven Tail," was all Strider said. The others nodded, feeling their anger begin to grow as well.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our next contenders! We have the handsome Ren from Blue Pegasus, and the beautiful Arana from Mermaid Heel!" Chapati yelled. The cheers and boos were palpable from both sides as the two began their fight.

"You're not bad," Ren complimented Arana as he sent a slash of air towards her.

"Not too shabby yourself. But isn't it wrong for a man to strike a woman?" Arana smirked.

"I respect women, which is why I intend on going all out!" Ren replied.

"GO REN! Sherry's rooting for you too!" Jenny announced over the loudspeaker, generating boos from the crowd.

"HUH?!" Ren shouted back, leaving himself susceptible to an attack. As he was downed by Arana's attack, another voice joined the din.

"LET'S GO REN! YOU CAN BEAT HER!" Sherry yelled out.

"Why're you cheering for another guild?! I'll spin you!" Ooba Babasaama, Master of Lamia Scale, said.

"You are spinning me!" Sherry comically whined as Ooba started twirling her around.

"It's alright, Master. Sherry and Ren are already engaged, after all" another Lamia Scale member piped in.

"We're not engaged! We're just resigned to being together," Ren said, hearing the comment.

-o-

" _'Resigned to being together?'_ " Strider said curiously.

"Ren is to cool to admit he's in love," Mira giggled.

"Ah. He's a lucky guy. Sherry certainly is beautiful," Strider said.

"Oh?" Mira wondered.

-o-

 _'Crap. Can't let myself look weak in front of her,'_ Ren thought, his emotion beginning to seep into his Magic. He began a vicious onslaught against Arana, not letting her get another strike in. Strike after strike buffeted her back. It wasn't long until the match concluded at last.

"Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for REN!" Chapati yelled over the crowd, eliciting a particularly rowdy cheer from Sherry.

"Congratulations," Arana sighed as she sat back up, smiling wistfully. Ren bowed low to her in thanks before help her up.

-o-

"For our third match of the day, ladies and gentlemen, we have Olga from Sabertooth vs. Warcry from Quatro Cerberus!" Chapati exclaimed. As Olga came out, there was a heavy applause.

"LETS GO SABERTOOTH!" someone yelled out.

"Do a song, Olga," Frosche said adorably from the Sabretooth dugout. Lector simply looked on with a smile, knowing what was coming. For as soon as the match began, it was immediately over. Warcry prepared to attack but was hit by a sphere of black lightning, knocking him out.

The audience went silent for a moment before erupting into a cheer. Olga quickly took the microphone from Mato and began to sing, while others were mesmerized by the attack.

-o-

"That guy is strong! HOLY COW!" Natsu exclaimed.

"No kidding. Pretty manly," Elfman grumbled.

-o-

"Something on your mind?" Mira asked Laxus, who was smiling ear to ear.

"I think you know. That's Lightning God Slaying Magic," Laxus said.

"Say again?" Strider said, raising an eyebrow.

"It's like Dragon Slayer Magic, but black in effect. Pretty strong as well. Not many can use it, or if they can, they can't control it. This guy definitely knows how to control it," Laxus said.

"He's killed a God?" Strider asked.

"Ha. I doubt it. Same with Dragon Slayers, it's name only for the most part," Laxus said.

-o-

"With the short end of that third match, we've approached our final match of the day - and I tell you, ladies and gents, it's gonna be one hell of a fight! From Lamia Scale, we have the Wizard Saint, JURA!" Chapati yelled.

That was all he needed to say. The crowd erupted into their loudest cheer yet as the well built Saint walked out. He was a significant fan favorite.

"Jura's the only reason I even came here!" several people exclaimed, excited to see their hero in battle.

"Man, I feel bad for whoever he's up against," another grumbled.

Smiling, Jura wondered who he would be facing from Fairy Tail.

"GO JURA!" Shelia, Sherry's younger cousin, cheered.

"And from Fairy Tail Team B, we have the newest addition to their guild - STRIDER!" Chapati roared.

-o-

"Ah. My time to shine, it seems," Strider said.

"This should be fun," Gajeel smirked, having a feeling of how it would go over.

As Strider prepared to leave, Mira quickly stopped him.

"Good luck," she said, smiling and leaning up to give a kiss on the cheek. Strider returned her smile and gave her a tight hug before walking out, his cloak billowing like a cape as a gust of wind went through the stadium.

-o-

"Oooh, this should be interesting," Melody exclaimed as she watched the games from afar with Ultear and Jellal.

"I've been wanting to see how he handles himself in battle," Ultear said, scanning his face.

"I almost feel bad for Jura," Jellal sighed.

-o-

"YEAH! GO STRIDER!" Droy yelled from the dugout.

"KICK JURA'S ASS!" Macao joined in.

"This should be interesting. Strider is powerful, but Jura's no slouch," Levy said.

"How do you think this will play over?" Mavis asked Makarov. The old master grinned in response.

"You'll see soon enough, First Master. I've no doubt our boy will win!" Makarov said proudly.

-o-

"Finally! Thought I'd never get to see him fight again!" Natsu exclaimed excitedly.

"Seven years of training must've done him some good," Erza mused, paying strict attention.

-o-

"How's this guy going to beat Jura? I've never even heard of him," someone said.

"Maybe this will be like Olga's match?" someone else offered.

"I dunno… who is this guy?" another person asked.

"Seems as though the crowd doesn't know what to think about this new arrival. I must say, I don't like his chances against Jura. He is a Wizard Saint, after all," Chapati said.

"I wouldn't count him out just yet," Yajima stated, to surprised looks from Jenny and Chapati. "Jura and I had the fortune of meeting this young man recently. He might be one of the most exceptional wizards I've come across. I think we're in for quite a treat here."

"Definitely not a bad looker either. Good luck, Strider," Jenny said seductively, remembering her kiss with him. The tone of voice elicited boos from the male crowd and a cheer from the females. Mira was scowling from her place in the dugout as her teammates tried to restrain their laughter.

-o-

"This guys going to get creamed," Sting said, smiling.

"I must admit, it does seem as though the odds are stacked against him. Odd, however; I don't recall learning about him, and I know everyone on the other teams," Rufus said, also smiling.

-o-

"It's good to see you again so soon, Strider," Jura said, having his wish fulfilled.

"Likewise, Jura. Before we begin, though - how're the people?" Strider asked his mind still on the refugees.

"Doing better, although there's still much work to be done. I've no doubt you'll see some around Crocus during the festivities tonight. Your donation helped tremendously, though; the refugees agreed to spend most of the money on the children. They will be well fed for a good while," Jura said reassuringly.

"Good. I'm… glad," Strider nodded.

"I admit, I've been looking forward to this since our meeting upon your return. I intend to give this fight my all," Jura said.

"I would expect no less," Strider answered.

"Begin!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

"Who do you think is gonna win, Lyon?" Sherry asked.

"Hmm… I'm not sure if I'm honest," Lyon frowned.

"It's gonna be Jura! Duh!" Shelia said. Lyon and Sherry traded a glance before focusing on the match again.

-o-

As Chapati said the word, Jura felt his body blown back with a sudden and sheer force, crashing through the perimeter wall. The crowd looked on in shock. They were expecting a one hit knockout but by the Wizard Saint.

From his own guild mates to the other guilds, everyone looked on in shock and surprise.

-o-

"I was afraid of this," Lyon sighed. He recalled how he had seen Strider during the fight against the deities so many years ago. As fearsome as he was then, Lyon felt that he was more so now.

"Interesting," Ooba mused, rubbing her chin as she observed the Fairy.

-o-

"Woah," Lecter said, stunned by the attack.

"Rufus?" Rogue asked sharply.

"I can't seem to trace his Magic. Odd…," Rufus said, eyes narrowed.

-o-

Natsu cackled madly, overjoyed by the show of power.

 _'I GOTTA KICK HIS ASS SOON! MOVE OVER ERZA AND LAXUS!'_ the Dragon Slayer thought excitedly.

-o-

"Impressive," Mavis said, seemingly unsurprised by the attack. She felt the immense power that radiated from Jura, but it was nearly overcome by the power that radiated off the Fairy. She saw a slight smile on Strider's lips, as though he was enjoying the reactions.

"HOT DAMN!" Wakaba said excitedly, his sentiment shared by Fairy Tail.

"I thought Jura would be a good match for him," Lisanna said, mostly to Bisca.

"He slew a dragon. I'm not sure if anyone in the Games would be a good match for him, except maybe Master Makarov," Bisca said.

-o-

Jura was undoubtedly one of the strongest forces in the games. He had risen the ranks of the saints over the past seven years, climbing above even Makarov. They never expected him to be knocked down, let alone out. It seemed as thougt this would prove to be an interesting match after all, many thought.

Slowly but surely, Jura got up. He threw off his cloak, and although was battered and bruised by the attack, he smiled at his foe.

"I should've expected that," he sighed. Strider shrugged, waiting for a more physical response.

"Iron Rock Wall!" Jura yelled, motioning his hands up. Pillars of rock began to erupt out of the sky, surprising Strider a bit.

 _'I forgot that I've never seen him use his Magic in person. That's quite amazing'_ Strider thought as he attempted to evade them. Eventually, one managed to strike him, buffeting him high into the sky. The crowd cheered as the attack connected, but stopped silent as Strider began to levitate.

"HE CAN FLY, TOO?! IS HE A WIND WIZARD?!" some exclaimed.

"I don't think so. That's pretty awesome, though," another said excitedly.

"Impressive indeed," Jura said, smiling. Through one of the pillars, a rock fist erupted. Strider held his hand out, stopping the attack in its tracks. He clenched his fist, forcing the rock fist to clench as well. A second later, it shattered into thousands of pieces.

-o-

"Looks like he's gotten stronger," Gajeel said, a slight smirk on his face. Like Natsu, he aimed ever higher.

"No kidding," Mira said.

-o-

"A wonderful addition, Sixth Master," Mavis said lightly.

"I think so too, First Master," Makarov said proudly.

 _'Ha! Suckers! No beating us now!'_ the old man thought manically.

As Mavis looked on, she tracked Striders every movement. Jura was relentless in his assault with fists and walls and kept Strider dancing in the air. Learning more about him from Makarov, she saw the intense drive and willpower that cascaded off of him, almost like a waterfall.

 _'Interesting…'_ she thought.

-o-

Jura brought both of his hand's palm side up with a tremendous force. Massive pillars erupted again from the ground and flew at Strider, who looked on in interest. Instead of colliding with him, however, they began to encircle him in a sphere. As he tried to force through, he found himself buffeted back in.

 _'Those rocks are going extremely fast. Can't risk the telekinetic barrier. If just one of them breaks through, it'd be a killer,'_ Strider thought.

As the sphere finally closed, Strider huddled him and braced for impact. He felt Jura bring the sphere down with a tremendous force, rocketing him in the ground.

-o-

The crowd cheered at the sudden turn of events. Jura smiled on, not convinced the battle was over.

-o-

"GO JURA!" Shelia exclaimed.

"Maybe we shouldn't have been so worried after all," Toby howled.

"Master? What do you think?" Sherry wondered.

"Keep watching," Ooba told them all.

-o-

An instant later, the sphere burst into pebbles. Strider stood in the middle, a sharp pain in his ankles. The force of the impact buckled him slightly, bringing back that injury. He quickly recomposed himself and took a step forward.

 _'That's going to hurt for a while,'_ he thought, gritting his teeth as the pain amplified. His legs shook for a moment, preparing to buckle yet again, but he quickly recomposed himself a second time. _'Not yet. I can rest later.'_

-o-

"How'd he break it?" someone in the crowd asked.

"No idea. What's his Magic? Do we know?" another asked aloud, although received no answer.

-o-

"He appears to be in pain," Mavis frowned, seeing a bead of sweat form on his face.

"It must be the injury around his ankles," Makarov said seriously.

"From the dragon blood?" Mavis asked.

"Yes. He mentioned that it still hurts. The impact from Jura's attack likely didn't help. Strider should end this quickly if he wants to avoid more pain," Makarov said.

"I agree. Perhaps you could ask Porlyusica to take a look?" Mavis suggested, giggling a bit.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY, FIRST MASTER?!" Makarov exclaimed, turning red.

"Oh, nothing," Mavis said innocently.

-o-

 _'It appears his injury has begun to act up. But… no. No, I'd rather not take advantage of it. I must beat him of my own accord,'_ Jura thought. If he was going to beat Strider, it would have to be with Magic only.

"ROCK MOUNTAIN!" he roared. Again the crowd erupted as the Earth behind Jura began to mold and rise into a bipedal being. Standing a solid ten meters, and made of pure ground, it truly looked like a mountain made of rock, lifting and lowering its legs as it found a comfortable position.

 _'Time to put on a show,'_ Strider thought as he began to levitate higher and higher. As he went, he heard people talk about what he was doing. Their questions were soon answered as he began to approach one of the four stone sentinels that stood around the northern, eastern, western, and southern entrances to the stadium. Each wielded a different weapon - one a sword, the other a staff, the third a shield, and the fourth a bow. Approaching the staff wielding sentinel, Strider gently landed atop its head. Putting his hand on the head, his eyes and mouth suddenly began to burn a fiery blue. The same began to happen to the sentinel.

"Rise," he commanded in an authoritative tone. The crowd gasped as the stone sentinel suddenly began to move, causing a small rumble. Its stone eyes blinked as it took a giant step from the plinth on which it stood, into the stadium. The people under it were too mesmerized to scream or shout; they simply looked on wide-eyed.

-o-

"Wild," someone from Quatro Cerberus said meekly.

-o-

"My word. That is quite impressive," Yajima said, his interest piqued.

-o-

"That's so awesome!" Romeo exclaimed, eyes just as wide as everyone else.

"No kidding, kiddo. That's insane," Macao agreed.

-o-

The sentinel brought its staff up and struck the ground, causing a small earthquake. A figure of a human from ages past, it wore beautiful stone robes and had a kingly look about him. The stoney eyes looked down on Jura's Rock Mountain, while Jura smiled up at it. Strider levitated down to its shoulder and sat down, smiling as well. Those directly in front of the sentinel could only see the looming shadow, blocking out the sun as they rested in the shade.

"Attack," Strider ordered it.

The sentinel wasted no time. It raised its mighty staff and with a grinding grunt, brought it crashing down on the rock mountain, causing a deep crack. Jura quickly got out of the way and began to send up pillars of rock that pierced the sentinel's legs. None were able to go deep enough but were able to stop it from moving, for fear of tipping over. Strider quickly countered the pillars, trying to get them out of them way as quickly as Jura set them up.

 _'It's impressive he can set so many up at once,'_ Strider thought, unable to keep up. He had to do it properly so as to not send them flying into the audience; throughout the process, Jura continued smiling.

Finally, Strider went on the attack again. He lunged at Jura, breaking through the pillars he set up to hinder him with ease with his sword. As he emerged on the other side, Jura braced himself. Strider grabbed Jura by his face and drove him deep into the ground while the stone sentinel brought another blow from the staff down on the rock mountain. Shaking its leg free of rock pillars, it stopped on the rock mountain until it was nothing by dust.

"Stop," Strider ordered it. The sentinel was still again, unmoving as it had ever been.

Using his telekinesis, Strider hurled Jura's body towards the sentinel. The sentinel caught Jura with a mighty hand. The crowd craned their necks upward as the sentinel raised the arm high and brought it rushing back down, releasing Jura at the final moment, hurtling the man into the Earth below. The ground began to crater until finally, the dust cleared. Jura had been bested, yet he wasn't disappointed in the least, despite not being able to move. He wanted to see the man's power for himself and now he had.

Strider turned to the sentinel and nodded.

"Thank you. You may return to your post," he told the sentinel, who obeyed. As it got settled again on its plinth, it acted as though nothing had happened.

-o-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I DON'T BELIEVE IT! THE WIZARD SAINT, JURA, HAS BEEN BEAT! THE MAN TO BEAT HAS BEEN BEAT!" Chapati roared in excitement, while Yajima smiled and Jenny cheered.

"YAY! GO STRIDER!" she exclaimed to the crowd, who were silent for a moment before erupting into their loudest cheer yet.

-o-

Fairy Tail was just as stunned but quickly began cheering for their teammate.

"HOLY HELL THAT WAS AWESOME!" Macao roared in excitement.

"YOU DID AMAZING!" Lisanna cheered at him.

"Did you see how that thing… how… you know!" Wakaba exclaimed.

"Oh yeah! Who's the man now?" Bixlow grinned.

"Quite impressive. Makes me want to test his skill personally," Freed said.

"Hmph. I think I might have a chance," Evergreen said haughtily.

"Your powers are cheating," Levy grumbled.

-o-

Strider helped Jura up, relieved to see the man was relatively free of serious injuries.

 _'Not a single broken bone. What the hell is he made of?'_ Strider wondered, bewildered.

"My grandmother made sure that I drank all my milk," Jura joked, seeing the slightly perplexed look.

"Ha. That explains it," Strider laughed. "Good fight, though."

"Indeed. You performed marvelously. You might even give God Serena a run for his money," Jura said.

"Who?" Strider wondered.

"Another Wizard Saint. Quite powerful," he said.

"Ah. Well, I'd rather avoid it if possible. Best to let my ego fester," Strider joked.

"Something tells me you were holding back - at least a little bit. Regardless, I've never felt so thrilled in my life," Jura said as they walked out of the crater.

"I'm happy to oblige," Strider said, walking Jura back to his dugout.

-o-

"Jura… lost?" Shelia asked, as shocked as anyone else.

"I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," Lyon mumbled.

"I certainly am. I knew he was hot, but I didn't know he was _this_ strong," Sherry said.

"I'm gonna have to spin Jura once he gets better," Ooba grumbled.

-o-

"Wow!" I don't think Erzy could take him on! She couldn't even take Jura!" Millianna meowed, watching Strider walk back to his dugout.

"Kagura?" Arana asked.

"Mmm?" Kagura mumbled. "He seems quite powerful. If he beat Jura without taking much damage, it certainly makes the rest of the games harder."

"And what do you think of _him?_ " Risley asked with a smirk.

"What are you implying?" Kagura sighed.

"Oh, I think you know," Risley teased her. Kagura just shook her head.

-o-

"Wild," Bacchus grinned, observing from the Quatro Cerberus dugout.

-o-

"Man. His parfum has gotten even more delightful," Ichiya said dramatically.

"Guys pretty powerful," Ren agreed.

"No kidding. Looks like I might have to use Archive after all," HIbiki said.

"Wonder what Jenny's thinking?" Eve chuckled, eliciting hushed laughs from the other Trimens.

-o-

"I don't think I want to fight him," Nullpudding said.

"No, nor do I," Blacksnake agreed. Flare simply watched him, her head tilting slightly.

-o-

"I don't believe it," Sting said irritably and shocked. He wanted to see what the Fairy was made of initially; now that he had his answer, he felt a bit apprehensive. Despite his strength, he knew that Jura was on a different level.

"Dude's pretty tough. Like really tough," Lector said, shivering slightly. Looking at Sting, he wondered how his friend would be able to handle him?

"Rufus?" Olga wondered. He felt a sudden jolt of excitement. Jura was one of the ones he wanted to compete against, but with the new Wizard, Olga wasn't sure who to choose.

"Nothing. I don't know why, but I couldn't pick up on his Magic. It's odd," Rufus said, frowning.

"We should let Lady Minerva know," Rogue said.

"Why?" Sting wondered.

"She'll want to know. The outlook of the games have changed if he's going to be competing. We must be prepared," Rogue said. Sting paused for a moment before nodding.

-o-

"NO WAY THAT WAS SO AWESOME HOLY CRAP I GOTTA BEAT HIM SOMEDAY!" Natsu exclaimed, fire escaping his mouth.

"Erza? What do you think?" Elfman wondered.

"I'm impressed. Extremely impressed," she said, smiling wide.

-o-

"Strider! Strider! Strider!" the crowd roared, cheering him on. Strider smiled and waved in response as he returned to his team's dugout.

"Good fight," Laxus said with a smirk.

"Jura's exceptional," Strider said.

"If he is, you could've let him show it," Gajeel said. Strider shrugged before taking a seat next to Mira.

"Congratulations," she whispered, leaning a bit closer.

"Thank you. Enjoy the fight?" he wondered.

"Oh yeah. I knew you'd win," she said.

"Thank you for the confidence," he whispered, eliciting a smile.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's just the first day of the games, and we're already off to an amazing start. Thank you for joining us and we'll see you all back at Domus Flau tomorrow for round two of the Grand Magic Games!" Chapati said before turning to Mr. Yajima.

"You were right, Mr. Yajima," he said, sighing as he wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. Yajima just smiled in response.

-o-

"Strider my boy, wonderful job!" Makarov roared as the guild had stepped back inside their hotel, celebrating Strider's win.

"Seriously! That was amazing!" Warren agreed excitedly.

"No kidding. The way that statue came to life? Holy fuck!" Max agreed, just as excited.

"Thank you, master, everyone," Strider said, bowing his head a bit.

"What do you think, First Master?" Makarov asked Mavis.

"Very exceptional. You're quite a force to be reckoned with," Mavis said, smiling up at Strider. This was the closest they had been yet; he veritably towered over the First Master, who grumbled a bit as she compared her height to his.

"Thank you, Master Mavis. A pleasure to meet you at least," he said.

"Likewise," Mavis said, grumbling as she and Makarov went to speak a bit more.

"No fair. Everyone's taller than me," Strider heard her complain.

-o-

"Going to bed already?" Strider asked as he saw Mira begin to head upstairs.

"Yup. I want to be well rested for tomorrow," she said, blushing a bit.

"You're a bit red. Everything alright?" he wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Congratulations again, by the way. But… are you ok?" she wondered.

"Hmm? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he replied.

"Jura's attack seemed to put a lot of pressure on your ankles. Does it hurt?" she asked.

"Ah. Yeah, it hurt a bit, but nothing I can't handle," Strider said with a wry smile.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I am," he nodded.

"Come with me for a minute," she ordered him, taking him to her room. She sat him down on her bed, lifting his legs up on it as well. As she rolled back the hem of the pants, she sighed as she saw the telltale signs of the draconic acid. She gently ensconced an ankle in her hands and began to compress it. Strider recoiled a bit but soon eased out, sighing exaltedly as he let her gently massage it.

"You can certainly work magic," he said.

"It was really stupid of you to go after Acnologia by yourself, you know," she said.

"Maybe. But I couldn't stand the alternative," he said.

"We could've helped you," she said.

"I couldn't risk it. I know how to deal with dragons," Strider said.

"I know that now. I keep learning more about you," Mira sighed.

"Enjoying the mystery?" Strider asked with a light laugh.

"A bit. I could do with less, though," she said, moving to the other ankle. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"Na. It's more aching now than anything," he answered.

"You have to be more careful. You might be stronger than Jura, but this proves you're not invincible," Mira said sadly.

"I'll… try my best," Strider said with a sigh. Mira smiled, satisfied for now.

-o-

"Juvia? Are you alright?" Strider asked softly, knocking on her door. He heard a short sniffle before the door finally opened, revealing a wryly smiling Juvia.

"Hello, Strider. Yes, I'm fine," she said.

"Are you sure?" he pressed.

"I am. I'm disappointed that I wasn't able to do much for the team, but otherwise, I am… ok," she admitted.

"Don't worry about it, alright? Nothing's going to stop us winning this," Strider assured her. Juvia nodded, leaning her head forward and resting it on him. She gasped gently as she felt him embrace her, holding her tight. As she was wont to do when he did such a thing, she began to puddle a bit.

"You go ahead downstairs. I got this," Strider heard Lisanna say, who came to check up on her friend.

"I'm starting to think this is the wrong move," Strider lamented.

"Of course not! It's adorable is what it is! It's just Juvia being Juvia," Lisanna chirped, giggling as she escorted her friend back inside.

-o-

"How are Gray and Lucy doing?" Erza wondered.

"Alright," Lucy sighed as she and Gray came down.

"MAN, STRIDER IS WIIIIIILD!" they suddenly heard Bacchus's voice ring through.

"Bacchus," she sighed.

"Who?" Gray asked.

"An S-Class Mage. An extremely talented one at that," Erza said sharply.

"How's it goin', Erza?!" Bacchus asked with a drunk grin. Sporting his usual purple armor, his hair was in a bun and a drink was in his hand as he sauntered up to the red head.

"Well. Yourself?" she asked, slightly terse. While she wouldn't deny his skill, she felt his drunkenness left a lot to be desired.

"WILD!" was all he said, walking away.

"Looks like he knows how to have fun," Erza heard Strider say.

"How're you feeling?" she wondered.

"Pretty good. We've got some points on the board," he said, giving Lucy a hug that she happily returned.

"Just you wait! I'm gonna put some on for us tomorrow!" Natsu declared.

"I look forward to seeing it, Natsu," Strider said.

"Strider. Might we have a word?" Makarov suddenly interjected with Mavis.

"Certainly," Strider nodded, heading upstairs to Makarovs room with him and Master Mavis.

-o-

"What did you wish to talk about, Master Mavis?" Strider wondered.

"I would like to learn a little more about you," Mavis said.

"I assume Master Makarov has already told you a bit," he said.

"As much as he knows. I was impressed to learn that you traveled here all the way from the Northern Continent. I can't think of anyone that's made the journey," Mavis said with a light smile.

"It's a hell of a journey," Strider said.

"And that you slew Acnologia. He was quite known, even in my own time," she said.

"A tough bastard, but at least we won't have to worry about him again," Strider said.

"I'm curious - how many battles did you participate in?" she wondered.

"Too many to count at this point, I'm afraid. I focused mainly on capturing strongholds that we occupied or razed. There were quite a few, so it was a long... project," Strider said.

"So you conquered a part of the land?" she wondered.

"I did. All of which I gave over to previous owners," Strider said.

"You didn't want to keep any for yourself?" she wondered.

"Not at that point, no. I just wanted to move on," Strider sighed, rubbing his temples. "Politics is more trouble than it's worth."

"At that point?" she pressed, eliciting a smile from him.

"You're very wise, Master Mavis," he praised.

"I get that a lot," she said happily.

"At that point, yes. After I returned seven years ago, there was a meeting to divvy up the land for restoration. I took over some responsibility at that point. I've spent most of the last seven years doing that. There's still a lot more work to be done, though," he said.

"I see. You will be returning, then?" she wondered.

"Not for a while, Master Mavis. And when I do, I'll still come back here," Strider promised.

"I'm happy to hear that. Master Makarov chose well in having you join our guild," she said.

"Master Makarov is extremely wise as well," Strider praised, eliciting a grin and thumbs up from the old master.

"The forces you commanded - what of them?" she wondered.

"Most of them survived the fighting. Some returned to their families, but a lot of them joined me when I went back. They're helping with the restoration," he said.

"Aren't you worried about the politics and how they might change?" she wondered. Strider paused to consider her question.

"We don't have many politicians left. Most of them died in the war. Only the statesmen survived. It'll be a good, long while before we're ready for a politician like the ones you find over here, I suppose. Not to mention, the current King is beloved by all. Challenging him would be political suicide for anyone, even those that are deeply entrenched," Strider said.

"If only that were always the case - statesmen over politicians," Mavis grumbled. "What are the lands like?"

"Ravaged," Strider sighed.

"You took the difficult regions?" Mavis wondered.

"I did. The regions no one else would want. You know what they say, Master Mavis - high risk, high reward," Strider shrugged.

"True, but manageable risk is a much better idea," she countered.

"I'm an idealist," Strider said, eliciting a wide smile from her.

"We need more of those," she said.

"Countries are built on optimism," Strider mused.

-o-

Unbeknownst to the three, Mira, Erza, Lucy, Bisca and Cana were all listening from the other room, their ears pressed against the wall. Erza had alerted them to the fact that Strider had gone up with the Masters and curiosity got the better of them.

"He sounds a bit sad, don't you know think?" Lucy said.

"Wouldn't you be? He's done a lot of fighting," Mira said.

"So have we, though," Bisca mentioned.

"Yeah, but not like him. There _has_ to be something about killing someone that changes you," Mira said.

"No kidding. Still… it's good that he's back. He won't have to do as much here," Cana said.

"Except these games," Lucy grumbled.

"Yeah, but that's not the same," Cana countered.

"Hush!" Erza silenced them, intent on listening still.

-o-

"I'm curious, Master Mavis - how _are_ you here?" Strider wondered.

"My form is incorporeal. I'm simply a spirit, although only visible to those that wear our guild mark," Master Mavis said.

"Incredible. You must be an exceptionally skilled Wizard. I've only seen a few cases like this, but they weren't near as well defined," Strider said.

"What do you mean?" she wondered.

"They… were more wraithlike," Strider said.

"Ah. I'm sorry," Mavis blanched.

"Nothing to be sorry for, Master. I'm happy to see that isn't the case here," Strider said. Suddenly, another thought came to him.

"Master Makarov, those three months we spent training - did you learn anything about the refugee crisis?" Strider wondered. Makarov sighed and shook his head.

"Not much, my boy. All we know is that there was an attack against Alvarez and the Empire. A lot of people dead, their army ruined. The Emperors Elite Squad are the highest ranking mages still there, and they're spending most of their time working out the nuances of the exodus," Makarov said seriously. Strider nodded along, his mind drifting to the refugees again.

-o-

"Heading out?" Strider wondered as Erza, Kinana, and several others were about to leave.

"Yes. Would you like to join?" Erza wondered.

"Lead the way," Strider nodded.

-o-

"How're you feeling, Jura?" Yajima asked as he and Makarov visited their friend in the midst of tending his wounds, external and otherwise.

"Mr. Yajima, Master Makarov. Better now, I think. My ego and I took quite a beating," Jura said with a happy look.

"I apologize if Strider went to hard," Makarov said, his grin saying otherwise.

"Not at all. Quite the opposite actually; it seemed as though he restrained himself. After his showing seven years ago, though, I'm not that surprised," Jura said.

"He truly is an exceptional wizard. It might be a good idea to…" Yajima said, before trailing off. The other two picked up on the meaning.

"Mmm. Perhaps. But we can decide that another day," Makarov said, closing his eyes.

"Agreed," Jura said.

-o-

Most of the guilds were around and about Crocus at night, talking about the events that had transpired - particularly the final fight of the day. Striders victory over Jura spread like wildfire throughout Crocus. Most of the guilds were out around the city, discussing the same thing. As Strider walked down the street with his friends, his newly found fans began to accost him for pictures, autographs, and other acts. He smiled as he walked through, pausing here and there to gratify them; it wasn't long until they came upon some familiar faces.

"How's Jura doing?" Erza asked Sherry.

"Don't worry about him. Besides his pride, he'll be fine," she said with a giggle.

"That was quite the match you put on," Lyon said to Strider.

"Jura's no pushover. You can feel his Magic; much stronger than seven years ago," Strider said.

"As are you," Lyon noted.

"I suppose we've both been working out," Strider mused.

"No need to be modest. Even the old hag thinks you're great," Lyon sighed.

As Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail conversed, Blue Pegasus came up to them. Jenny quickly latched on to Strider with a seductive smile, putting Erza on edge.

"Hey," she said.

"Hello, Jenny," Strider replied in a Forrest-Gumpish way, eliciting a giggle.

"Where's Mira?" Jenny wondered, looking for her friend.

"Sleeping, I believe. She might have a match tomorrow," Strider said.

"Got it. Can't wait to see her in action," Jenny giggled. "Anyway, you free?"

"I dunno, I-," Strider began before she cut him off.

"Oh, don't be like that! I said I'd show you around Crocus, didn't I? Well, here's our chance. We'll see you guys later!" Jenny said as she quickly whisked Strider away, leaving a grumbling Erza behind.

"Mira won't be happy. Neither will Erza, I guess," Kinana giggled as she saw the redhead sigh.

-o-

"It appears that gossip is a constant, regardless of country," Strider noted as they went through the bustling crowds, Jenny pointing things out here and there.

"Handsome guy, beautiful girl. People talk," she said as she led him to a walled off garden. Unlike him, she was used to it, being one of the most beautiful women in Fiore. "Just ignore them."

"Difficult when they pay so much attention to us," Strider sighed, sitting on a bench with her.

"Oh? Are we an _'us'_ now?" she asked with a smirk.

"Ha. You know what I mean," he said.

"So how are you liking Crocus so far?" she wondered.

"Beautiful, in a word," he said, piercing her gaze with his. Jenny blushed at the intensity of the look but matched it.

"Happy to hear it," she said in a whisper. "Oh! There's something I forgot to give you."

"Oh? What's that?" he wondered. Out of nowhere, Jenny punched him hard on the shoulder. Strider recoiled a bit but soon laughed and nodded.

"That's for leaving me with Mira and Erza, asshole!" she grumbled.

"You're still alive, so there's that," he mentioned.

"You're lucky I'm not doing worse," she grumbled.

"What did they say?" he asked.

"You haven't talked to them about it?" she wondered.

"Nope," he said. Jenny sighed, remembering.

-o-

 _"Jenny…," Mira said dangerously._

 _"What?! We didn't do anything! Promise!" Jenny squealed in fright. She didn't feel comfortable enough to take on Mira, let alone Mira and Erza._

 _"Don't try to get out of this," Erza said, just as dangerous._

 _'Crap! I'm so dead! Damn it! What happened to ladies first?!' Jenny thought to herself, bemoaning Strider._

 _"I'm not - I swear!" she exclaimed._

 _"What happened?" Mira demanded._

 _"We… just talked for a bit. He showed me that he can fly," she said._

 _"And is that it?" Mira asked._

 _"Why wouldn't it be?!" Jenny exclaimed._

-o-

"I barely made it out alive," she sighed.

"Only matters that you did," he laughed.

"How come you haven't told them?" she wondered.

"No particular reason, really. It just hasn't come up. The Guilds been focused exclusively on the Games," Strider said.

"It must've been difficult for you, being separated from them for so long," she said.

"You've no idea," Strider sighed. "It was a difficult seven years."

"Feel like much has changed?" she wondered.

"Been asked that a few times now. In all honesty, I'm not sure. I don't feel distant from them or anything, but I'd be a fool to say things are the same as they were," Strider said. "All I can do now is try to move forward with how things are now."

"Weren't you only with them for a few months?" Jenny wondered.

"A little more than that, but it's about right. But, if I wasn't sleeping, I was with my team or Mira or someone. You spend so much intimate time with people, it doesn't take long to get into the sway of things - especially here," Strider said. Jenny nodded along, not sure of what to say next.

"So, why take me around the city now?" Strider asked.

"I promised you, didn't I? No time like the present, as they say. Besides, I wanted to get some alone time with you," she sighed.

"Oh? I think I like where this is going," Strider laughed.

"Ugh, not like that pervert!" she groaned.

"My loss," he sighed.

"You're the worst," she sighed before giggling. "But seriously, there is something I wanted to talk about with you in private."

"Oh? What's that?" he wondered.

"You and Mira," she said.

"Is that _really_ what you want to talk about?" he asked.

"It is. I'm not kidding when I say that she's a good friend. We have a bit of a rivalry going on, but it's all in good nature. That's why I wanted to see if there was something going on between… well, you know," she sighed. "Between you and her."

"I see," Strider said.

"So…?" she trailed on.

"I think that's something I'll have to talk to Mira about before I talk with anyone else," Strider said.

"But right now - are you two a thing?" she asked.

"No, we're not," he said.

"Do you wish you were?" Jenny asked.

"I'm afraid that's for me to know and others to find out," Strider said coyly, eliciting a disgruntled sigh.

"Should've known you would've been evasive," Jenny grumbled.

"I don't get that very often," Strider laughed.

"Ok… then what about you and Erza?" Jenny asked.

"Erza and I?" Strider asked.

"Yeah. You saw how she and Mira looked at me that night!" Jenny sighed.

"I do. I remember the night quite vividly," Strider said.

"How vividly?" Jenny asked, moving a bit closer.

" _Quite_ vividly. I believe we were about this close," he said, noting that the two were just inches apart.

"Mhm. I remember that as well. Only we were flying," Jenny said.

"Care to fly again?" he asked.

"Can we?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course. Just be sure to hold on tight," Strider said. Jenny threw her arms around him and they immediately shot up, much faster than they did the last time. It took her a moment to catch her breath and calm down. She looked on in awe as the bright lights of Crocus twinkled through the night. It was an ocean of lights, surrounded by the darkness of the mountains and lakes around the city.

"Wow," she whispered, swiveling her head around to get better views.

"You're not kidding. This is beautiful. We don't have cities like this where I'm from," he said.

"Do you miss your home?" she asked.

"More than you might know. It's a love-hate affair, I suppose," he sighed.

"That bad?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe not _that_ bad. But… I do wish things were different there. All I can do is move on, though. No point in lamenting endlessly," Strider said, mindlessly caressing her back. Jenny shivered in pleasure at the touch, tightening her hold on him. Looking up, she quickly stole a kiss before giving him a kind smile.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"A reward for bringing me up here," she said.

"Does the reward increase the higher we go?" he wondered, gently levitating them up.

"Ha. Doesn't work like that, I'm afraid. You're going to have to do a lot more than flash your magic," she said in a mock haughty tone.

"I'm sure I can think of something," he said. "For now, though, let's head back down. You might have a match tomorrow."

"Oh, I _definitely_ have a match tomorrow," she said slyly.

"Oh? With whom? I thought the matches were decided on the fly?" he asked, surprised.

"Most of them are. This is a special match, though. No spoilers, unfortunately," Jenny said.

"Against who?" he wondered.

"Ugh, that'd be a spoiler," Jenny said, rolling her eyes. "I think you'll enjoy it, though."

"What'd you think of my match?" Strider wondered as they finally touched down.

"Pretty hot," she giggled. "I figured you were tough, but you handled Jura pretty easily. Not sure how'd you do up against God Serena, but it's a good start."

"Seven years of training helps one grow," Strider said. "But I suppose I should say good night. I wouldn't want to keep you any longer."

"Guess not," Jenny sighed before smiling again. She leaned up and pulled him in for a long and passionate kiss, her hands running through his hair. She felt his arms wrap around her waist as he leaned into it as well. She felt their tongues clash, a sensation that sent a gentle shiver up and down her spine. It took all they had to break apart, taking a moment to savor the others taste.

"Good night kiss," she said quietly before smiling and taking her leave.

-o-

Strider sighed and sat back down the bench, lips still tingling from the kiss. His hand gently caressed the black mark on his left shoulder. The pain was as unbearable as it had always been. As he touched it, he felt Anglachel start to quiver, as though excited.

"Calm yourself," he whispered irately. "You won't be spilling blood here."

The sword quivered a bit more forcefully as he said that. Strider quickly grabbed it until it stopped its rattle. As it stilled, he clenched his teeth; the pain in the black mark shot through him again. He shifted his shirt off his left shoulder and blanched; the mark had grown ever so slightly - not distinctly enough that anyone but he would've noticed.

 _'Still spreading,'_ he sighed. _'Damned wraith. At this point… goddamn it all,'_ Strider thought angrily. The wind began to whip around him, matching his emotions. Finally, as the pain began to lessen, so did the elements.

 _'I suppose it could've been worse if not for her,'_ he thought.

"Anairë," he whispered, closing his eyes. Turning his head up, he couldn't help but smile; a particular star that he always had his eyes on was shining especially bright.


	19. Grand Magic Games: Day 2 - Kiss

"Strider? Strider! Are you ok?" Mira asked in a panicked voice as she tried to wake him up. He was tossing and turning in his bed, covered in a cold sweat. He soon shot up, Anglachel flying to his hand unsheathed.

"Mira? he asked, his pupils dilated as his eyes scanned the room. His breathing was heavy and labored, as though he had just gotten away from some kind of danger.

"Are you ok?" she asked, bringing a hand to his chest.

"What happened? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No, no. Nothing's wrong. I… came over to wake you up but it looked like you were having a nightmare," she said, caressing his face. "Please, calm down. You're safe."

"Forgive me," he said, letting the sword drop. His breathing began to ease out but was still heavy.

"It's fine. But… what were you dreaming about?" she asked tentatively.

"I… don't recall," he said, shaking his head gently.

"Just relax," she whispered, laying him back down on the bed, wiping away some of the sweat on his face.

"Have the Games begun?" he asked.

"Just about. The first event is in an hour but we should be there a bit early. I think you should rest for a little while longer, though," she said.

"Thanks for worrying, Mira, but I'm fine. I'll go ahead and shower," Strider said, gingerly getting up. Mira sighed as she watched him go before taking her leave.

-o-

"Feeling better?" Mira asked as they got to the dugout.

"Much," Strider nodded, rolling his neck a bit.

"You look like you could've gotten a few more minutes," Gajeel said.

"Maybe tonight," Strider said, rubbing his face. "I'm not one to get tired, usually."

"Busy night?" Gajeel asked.

"A bit," Strider said, smirking. "But nothing I can't handle. Certainly, nothing to make me want to sleep standing up. I suppose it happens."

"I told you that you should've gotten a bit more rest," Mira sighed.

"Oh? When'd you tell him that?" Cana asked with a smirk. Mira turned red, opting not to answer. She was saved further embarrassment by the announcers finally arriving.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the second day of the Grand Magic Games! I'm your host, Chapati - and I'm joined once again by Mr. Yajima. Joining us also is Jason from Sorcerer's Weekly!" Chapati yelled to applause.

"SO COOL!" Jason roared into the mic.

"To start off, we have our event of the day - Chariot! The participating teams have already chosen their representatives and are off and running - literally! The goal of the event is to make your way across the chariots and to the finish line without falling off. Participating are Bacchus of Quatro Cerberus, Blacksnake from Raven Tail, Risley Law of Mermaid Heel, Yuka Suzuki of Lamia Scale, Ichiya Vandalay of Blue Pegasus, Natsu Dragneel from Fairy Tail A, Gajeel Redfox from Fairy Tail B, and finally Sting Eucliffe of Sabertooth!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

Blacksnake, Ichiya, Yuka, Risley, and Bacchus were making their way through the front half of the chariots, with Blacksnake in the clear lead. Ichiya was having a bit of trouble, while Bacchus was drunkenly slogging along. Yuka suddenly kicked it into gear, using a Wave Boost to propel himself further along, catching Risley and Ichiya by surprise.

"This should be a contest of strength, man! Not Magic!" Ichiya said dramatically.

"Two can play at that game, sweetheart!" Risley said, activating her Gravity Magic. Her form shifted considerably; instead of being short and stout, she added several feet and toned down considerably. She began running along the side of the chariot, taking over Yuka and Ichiya with ease.

"Very well! I shall not be outdone!" Ichiya said, taking out a vial of Fleet Foot Perfume. Taking a long whiff, his speed increased dramatically. He quickly caught up with, and surpassed, Yuka. Midway through the chariots, Bacchus grinned widely.

"Guess I better get serious!" he said. He brought his right foot high before smashing it down with a furious stomp. The chariots began to rumble and crack under the pressure and soon splintered entirely. Every candidate in front lost their balance, while Bacchus, in an immense show of speed, overtook all of them.

-o-

"Quite an impressive showing," Strider said interestedly.

"No kidding. Erza mentioned he was tough, but I didn't think he was that fast as well. He's always drunk," Mira sighed.

"I've known a few people like that. You'd be surprised at how much power lies under the facade," he said.

-o-

"That was an underhanded trick!" Ichiya said, slowly getting up.

"Yeah, no kidding," Yuka agreed, getting back into the fray.

Bacchus soon passed first while Blacksnake came in behind him; with Risley, Yuka, and Ichiya rounding out the next three spots respectively.

Competing for sixth, seventh, and eight were Natsu, Gajeel, and Sting. The Dragon Slayers were being confronted by their most significant adversary: motion sickness.

Gajeel appeared to be the most trouble, having never experienced the sensation before.

"This is - URP - embarrassing. I used to b - UGH - be able to ride on vehicles just fine," he said, hand over his mouth as tried his best to keep breakfast down.

Natsu and Sting weren't doing much better. All tree seemed to be on the brink of falling down.

"Heh - that just means you've finally become one," Sting said with a sickly grin.

"Mmm?" Gajeel asked, not daring to open his mouth.

"A real… ugh… card carrying Dragon Slayer," Sting said, shutting his mouth quickly. Something was coming up his throat and he had to pause to get it under control. "I guess congratulations are in order. Welcome, newbie."

"NEWBIE?!" Gajeel yelled, shoulder Natsu into Sting.

"What's up?! Where'd all my strength go?!" Gajeel asked the heavens.

-o-

"So why did we send Gajeel into this?" Strider asked, amused.

"Natsu was going to compete and Gajeel had to prove that he was better, of course," Mira giggled.

"And speaking of that, why'd they send Natsu into this? Erza or Lucy would've been a much better choice, it seems," Strider said.

"You know how excitable Natsu is. I guess he really wants to put the first points on the board," Mira said.

"I admit, it is slightly fascinating," Strider said.

"If you say so. I just think it's gross. A bit adorable, though. Two tough guys, yet they can't handle vehicles," Mira giggled.

-o-

"Ok… so he thinks puking in slow-mo is entertaining?" Olga asked, bemused.

"Is this a common affliction amongst your kind, Rogue?" Rufus asked in interest.

"I had assumed that only Sting and I had trouble with motion sickness. It appears as though it applies to all Dragon Slayers," Rogue said.

 _'Glad it's not me down there,'_ Rogue thought to himself, feeling for his friend.

-o-

"Does it affect you too, Laxus?" Mira asked.

"Don't tell Natsu. He'd never let me live it down," Laxus grumbled.

"Huh. So I guess it affects _anyone_ that uses Dragon Slayer Magic, no matter how they got it. Interesting. Well, that's good to know for future reference," Mira said with a sly smirk.

"Something tells me I'm going to regret telling you that," Laxus sighed.

"I dunno what you're talking about," she said in a chipper tone.

"I probably wouldn't have said anything," Juvia sighed.

-o-

"GAH! GOTTA KEEP MOVING! I'M NOT GONNA LOSE LIKE THIS!" Natsu exclaimed, pressing forward, ahead of his competitors. Gajeel soon matched him, refusing to lose. Sting, however, decided to hang back, willingly resigning himself to last place.

"Huh. Talk about uncool. Anyone can see you don't have any strength left. You're just making fools of yourself," he said.

His snark fell on deaf ears, however. Natsu and Gajeel continued to press forward, determined to put more points on the scoreboard for Fairy Tail.

"Fine. Whatever. I didn't need this win, so I'm just going to let you have it. Sabertooth is just going to keep racking up points after this. One measly point isn't going to make a difference, anyways. Doesn't matter who you have on your team," Sting said.

"One point ain't nothing to scoff at, kid! Don't you forget that!" Gajeel yelled back.

"I don't get it. Explain something to me," Sting said. Natsu and Gajeel paused and looked back, interested in what he had to say. "Why'd you even bother entering the tournament? I mean, seriously. You're nothing like the Fairy Tail that I knew growing up. You're just obsessed with proving yourself and with whatever the rest of the world thinks of you. What happened to the Fairy Tail of my childhood? The guild that did whatever the fuck it wanted, whenever it wanted? They never gave a damn what anyone else thought or said of them. They just did their own thing."

-o-

The other members of Fairy Tail looked downcast at his words, the weight of the seven years absence weighing down on them.

-o-

"The reason? We're here for our friends!" Natsu yelled back at him. Sting seemed stunned by the answer, stopping moving entirely. "The ones that waited for us for all the years we were gone. The ones that fought through the pain and heartache. They were humiliated by guilds like yours, but they stayed strong. They kept the guild together and they kept it running. We're not in this to prove anything to _you_. We're here for our friends. We're here to… let them know that it wasn't for nothing! Fairy Tail never gave up - not for a second! So there's no chance in hell I'm going to give up now. If they could go seven years like that, I can go seven minutes like this!"

-o-

Natsu's word seemed to strike a chord with everyone. It brought his guilds to tears, while it moved the rest of the crowd as well.

"Impressive speech," Strider whispered with a slight smile.

-o-

Natsu and Gajeel made it at last. With a triumphant roar, Natsu collapsed over the finish line.

"HE DID IT! FAIRY TAIL A'S NATSU DRAGNEEL NABS SIXTH PLACE, WHILE FAIRY TAIL B'S GAJEEL REDFOX GETS SEVENTH!" Chapati yelled.

"About… time we put some points on the board," Natsu said weakly.

"Ha! Now those boys have some moxie!"

"No kidding - that was awesome!"

"They're gutsy, I'll give 'em that."

"Maybe their guild ain't so bad after all. Kids got some courage."

"Got me right in the feels, man."

"Way to go Fairy Tail!"

"You just earned yourselves another fan!"

The entire arena had erupted into a cheer. The boos from the day before seemed to be a distant memory.

-o-

"Glad… I did it," Natsu said, his eyes and head spinning. The chariot race took more out of him than pretty much any fight he had.

"He looks like he's ready to keel over," Lucy sighed.

"That's what happens when you push yourself like that. Good job, though, Natsu. We're proud of you," Erza said with a smile.

"Is he gonna be okay?" Lucy asked Porlyusica, the healer of the guild - who typically stayed separate. She was busy tending to Wendy, who was still resting.

"Why wouldn't he be? It's just motion sickness," she answered.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the matches of the day! We have several great fights in store for you, although I think it'll be difficult to top the final match of yesterday!" Chapati yelled. The crowd cheered as they remembered Strider's victory and soon started chanting his name.

"Looks like you won over the crowd, at least," Mira said.

"Perhaps not as much as Natsu and Gajeel. How're you feeling, by the way?" Strider asked the Iron Dragon Slayer. Gajeel was about to heave yet again but grinned weakly.

"Heh. Salamander's the one - UGH - lying in bed. Looks like I won out," he said before suddenly running out.

"Ah. Looks like he'll be like that for a while," Strider chuckled.

"Glad I didn't have to run that race," Laxus sighed.

-o-

Toby of Lamia Scale was up against Blacksnake from Raven Tail. Both were duking it out fiercely in the arena, quick as whips as they lashed at each other. Blacksnake was easily able to dodge every scratch and slash that came his way, while Toby's lithe physique aided him in contorting to avoid lashlike punches and kicks.

"BEAT THAT SCUMBAG AND I'LL PAY YOUR WEIGHT GOLD!" Toby heard Makarov yell at him He went in for a paralyzing claw slash, but Blacksnake easily dodged the attack before suddenly disappearing into the sand.

-o-

"No way! That's my Magic! Sand Magic!" Max exclaimed.

"Mimic Magic. That's quite interesting. I haven't seen _that_ in a long time," Mavis said with a smile.

-o-

"Fascinating," Strider said, paying intense attention. As Mira looked at him, she saw a look of interest there she hadn't seen before.

"You think so?" she asked. Strider simply nodded.

-o-

"Awoooo! You're pretty strong," Toby howled.

"You're not too bad yourself," Blacksnake replied.

"Wish I had a cool name like Blacksnake," Toby said.

"It's just my wizard name," Blacksnake shrugged, going in for a kick. Toby easily evaded it.

"What?! You mean you lied to me!" Toby exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Blacksnake replied, quickly going on the defensive as Toby went in for multiple strikes.

"Tell you what! If I beat you, you have to tell me your real name!" Toby exclaimed.

"Heh. Agreed. But what do I get if I win?" Blacksnake inquired.

"I'll tell you my super secret!" Toby answered.

"Agreed," Blacksnake said with a light smile.

-o-

"Interesting! Looks like our competitors have a little wager going on! This should spice up the match!" Chapati said.

-o-

"How was the announcer able to hear that? I barely made out what he said over here," Strider wondered.

-o-

Blacksnake was quickly back on the attack with much more passion. His quick strikes soon began connecting with Toby, who was quickly knocked out.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the victor is Blacksnake! That certainly didn't take long! Ten points for Raven Tail!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Looks like you have to tell me your secret now," Blacksnake said as Toby cried on the ground. As his sobs subsided, he answered with puppy dog eyes.

"I can't find my sock," he said, sniffling. The crowd went silent while Blacksnake raised an eyebrow.

"What was that?" he asked lamely.

"It's been three months since I lost it. I haven't been able to find my sock since," Toby cried through renewed tears.

Blacksnake pointed to his neck. As he looked down, Toby broke into a giant smile.

"MY SOCK!" he roared in excitement, kissing it several times.

-o-

"You have got to be joking," Lyon said, slapping himself with both hands. Jura and the rest of Lamia Scale seemed just as flabbergasted by the ordeal.

"No kidding. Who would've thought?" Sherry sighed.

"Ugh. Toby…," Jura said, rubbing his brows.

-o-

"That's so precious," Erza said, wiping away a tear.

"THIS IS WAY TO STUPID TO BE CRYING ABOUT!" Gray exclaimed.

-o-

"Happens to the best of us," Strider said.

"That was kinda cute," Mira giggled.

"No fucking way you two are serious. You're kidding, right?" a bewildered Laxus asked.

"It's not rare that someone misses something right under their nose," Strider said.

"It's pretty rare if they literally have it dangling around their neck, though!" Laxus said.

"Nonetheless, alls well that ends well," Strider said.

-o-

"Thanks! You're not such a bad guy!" Toby said as Blacksnake extended a hand. As Toby was about to grasp it, however, Blacksnake yanked the sock out of his hand. He began to rip it up in front of a horrified Toby, while a shocked crowd looked on.

"The more precious something is to someone, the more I want to destroy it," he said quietly.

-o-

"That was uncalled for," Mira frowned.

"What a prick," Laxus grunted.

As Strider saw that, he felt a sudden surge of anger in his stomach. Anglachel quivered gently, hoping for some blood as it felt the anger.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our participants from the second match of the day! From Fairy Tail A, we have Elfman Strauss!" Chapati exclaimed.

"ME?!" Elfman asked, surprised.

-o-

"Elf is fighting?" Lisanna asked, slightly worried.

"I'm sure he'll be fine. Your big brother may be an oaf, but he's a powerful one," Evergreen said.

-o-

"I hope he'll be alright out there," Mira said nervously.

"He's going to be fine," Strider said, placing a comforting arm around her. Mira smiled and nodded, leaning into the embrace a bit more and reciprocating.

-o-

"His opponent will be… Bacchus, from Quatro Cerberus!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"Mmm. This may be more difficult than I initially thought," Erza said.

"What's wrong, Erza?" Lucy wondered.

"Bacchus is a very capable wizard. While Elfman is powerful, Bacchus is S-Class in his own right," Erza said.

"Do you think Elfman has a chance?" Lucy asked.

"A chance? Certainly," Erza said.

-o-

In the rafters, the King of Fiore - Toma E. Fiore - was agitated.

"You idiot!" he exclaimed.

"Forgive me, your majesty," an armor wearing man with a pointed nose, shaggy hair, and beard said.

"I wanted to see _Erza_ vs. Bacchus, Arcadios! He'll make short work of this novice!" the king said.

"Yes, your majesty - I suppose he will," Arcadios sighed, admonishing himself for misunderstanding the king.

-o-

"Elfman, huh?" Bacchus wondered as he sauntered onto the arena.

"That's right," Elfman said, standing his ground.

"How about we make a wager like those guys before?" Bacchus asked.

"What?" Elfman asked, curious

"Your two sisters are some smokin' hot numbers," Bacchus said with a smirk.

"What's your point?" Elfman asked, grinding his teeth.

"If I win, they keep me company tonight. Both at the same time," Bacchus said with a wild grin. As he saw Strider's arm around Mira in the distance, however, he regretted the wager slightly.

-o-

"What a creep!" Cana exclaimed to Evergreen.

"No kidding. Jerk," Happy said as he flew to Lisanna's shoulder.

-o-

"I'm going to tear you apart," Elfman growled before springing into an attack. His flurry of kicks and punches mostly missed the mark, however; Bacchus was far too fast for him to land a hit.

"Beast Soul: Weretiger!" Elfman roared. He began to undergo a transformation; his hair grew out a bit while his body turned a golden-yellow with black spots.

-o-

"Amazing. What is that?" Strider asked Mira.

"One of Elfman's Beast Souls. This one is the Weretiger; it gives him a boost in speed. But… I'm not sure it'll be enough," Mira said worriedly.

Even with the increased speed, Elfman was unable to land a hit on Bacchus - who soon went on the offensive. A master of Palm Magic and a powerful hand to hand fighter, Bacchus was no slouch. In rapid succession, he was able to subdue and then beat down Elfman. As he turned back into his regular form, he was bruised all over.

-o-

"Oh no…," Lucy said worriedly.

"It's worse than you think. When he's sober, Bacchus is an extremely capable fighter - strong enough to probably get a few hits in on Jura. When he's drunk, however, it numbs the pain that he feels and makes his movements wilder and more powerful," Erza said.

"And he still has that bottle down there. Which means he still isn't drunk. Crap…," Lucy said.

"Have a little faith, Lucy. Elfman's got this," Gray said confidently.

"You really think so?" she asked.

"No doubt - especially not after the bet that Bacchus wanted to make," Gray said.

-o-

"You wanna stay down, big man?" Bacchus asked with a wild smile.

"I'm fine. And… I've decided what I wanted after I beat you," Elfman said, getting to his feet.

"Oh? What's up?" Bacchus wondered.

"If I win, your guild has to change their name to Quatro Puppy for the rest of the tournament!" Elfman said.

-o-

"Quatro Puppy?" Strider wondered.

"Sounds too cute for a guild of guys," Mira giggled.

-o-

"WHAT?!" the crowd exclaimed. A few laughed, but most were bewildered.

-o-

"HA! I like your style, man! Agreed," Bacchus said as he walked over to the bottle he brought. He soon downed it, rolling his neck as he got ready.

-o-

"He's serious now," Erza said.

-o-

Quickly - even quicker than before - Bacchus was on the attack. He hit Elfman seven times in the blink of an eye. Suddenly and unexpectedly, however, parts of Bacchus's armor began to fall off.

"What the -?" he asked in surprise, looking back at Elfman. His white hair elongated and ran down his spine in a series of spikes as sharp scales covered his now reptilian body. The scales shredded the armor of the martial artists, who smiled.

"Not bad, man!" Bacchus yelled, leaping back into attack. His wild flurry grew more erratic. Elfman refused to move, choosing to steel himself and withstand the onslaught. The barrage went on for several minutes before Bacchus finally stopped, panting desperately. Bruises and cuts covered his entire body, while Elfman had reverted to his normal form and fallen to his knees, trying to catch his breath. Finally, Bacchus stood upright and laughed.

"THAT'S RIGHT, I'M WILD!" he exclaimed, to a resounding cheer from his guild mates.

-o-

Fairy Tail looked on in worry, wondering what the outcome was going to be. Neither wizards had fallen yet.

-o-

"Hey, your names Elfman, right?" Bacchus asked. Elfman offered no reply.

"I gotta say," Bacchus said, falling on his back." You - are a real man."

The crowd went silent before erupting into a loud cheer. Mira hugged Strider ecstatically while Lisanna cuddled Happy and Evergreen nearly choked Freed to death. On his knees, Elfman raised his arms high and let out a mighty roar of victory.

"FOLKS, I DON'T BELIEVE IT! ELFMAN STRAUSS HAS BEATEN BACCHUS! FAIRY TAIL A WINS AND EARNS 10 POINTS!" Chapati roared.

-o-

As the match was still going on, Natsu had risen from his slumber.

"What's that smell?" he wondered aloud. Looking around, he didn't see Wendy, Carla, or Porlyusica. Troubled, he erupted from bed to look for his friends. His nose soon struck gold and picked up Wendy's scent. As she came into view, he saw that she was still unconscious and being carried by someone.

"HEY!" Natsu roared.

"CRAP! HE'S AWAKE!" one of the three men yelled.

"Get them outta here! I'll take care of the kid!" another man yelled. Natsu easily knocked him out before giving chase to the others. They had no chance against the Dragon Slayer; he quickly caught them and freed his friends. As the match ended and the three began to wake up, they quickly hailed the Royal Guard.

"Who hired you?" Natsu asked, cracking his knuckles.

"R-Raven Tail! They wanted the Celestial Wizard!" one of the men said meekly before they were whisked away.

-o-

"So the plan failed?" Arcadios asked one of the Royal Guard.

"I'm afraid so, sir. The Celestial Wizard wasn't there," the guard answered.

"Then we move on to Plan B. We'll activate Eclipse yet," Arcadios said.

-o-

"You did a wonderful job, Elfman," Erza said, smiling. She was surprised that Elfman was able to beat Bacchus. Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, and Gray stood around him - just as happy.

"I wish I could stay with you, Elf," Lisanna said, smiling at her brave brother.

"I wouldn't want to if I were you, Lis. Mira's up next, right? Go out and cheer extra hard for her," Elfman said weakly. "Hey, Wendy. Sorry, kid, but you're gonna have to tag back in."

"Don't worry, Elfman! I'll make you proud!" the bluenette said, ready to go at last.

"We'll stick around and guard him," Evergreen said. After learning about Raven Tai;'s antics, they wouldn't take any chances.

"Hey Elfman, if you need someone to cuddle with, I'm sure Ever would be happy," Bixlow said, pushing her onto Elfman with a grin.

-o-

"Carla, you're OK! I was so worried!" Happy exclaimed, leaping out to hug the Exceed.

 _'What did Raven Tail want with Lucy?'_ she thought before quickly pushing the thought from her head. Right now, she needed to cheer on Mira.

"Let's go Mira-aaaaaaah!" she exclaimed in horror. "What's going on here?!"

"You're not gonna like it," the dejected Happy said.

-o-

Mira and Jenny were having a contest, but not in the vein of a battle. They appeared to be modeling for the viewing pleasure of the public.

"Do you like what you see?" Mira asked in a flattering red bikini. Her long white hair flowed down her back with the signature tuft at the top as she kneeled on the ground.

-o-

Strider let out a wolf whistle and grinned.

"Huh. Didn't think you'd be into this," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Who doesn't love beautiful women? Although since Levy's not up there, I imagine you're not as interested," he said, winking at Gajeel. The Iron Dragon Slayer turned a fierce shade of red.

"THAT'S IT! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS ONCE THESE GAMES ARE OVER!" he exclaimed.

-o-

"Mmm," Jenny said with a seductive smile. She wore a stunning blue bikini, her hands ruffled through her blonde hair.

-o-

"What kind of battle is this?!" Gray and Natsu exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know," Wendy said, shivering as she looked over the barrier. The crowd didn't share their apprehension; they let out a resounding cheer for the beautiful models.

-o-

"Hey boys," Mira said seductively, wearing a light blue bikini and running a hand through her hair.

"Hiii," Jenny cooed as she changed into a black and pink bikini, her hand between her breasts.

-o-

"They're not going to have me do this kind of nasty stuff, are they?" Wendy asked, blushing and pointing at Mira and Jenny.

"No. I think this is a special arrangement just for them. At least, I hope it is…," Lucy trailed off, grumbling.

-o-

"You definitely still got it," Jenny said, hand on her hips as she smirked at Mira.

"Thank you. Feels pretty nice to be doing this again," Mira replied.

"I was kind of surprised you actually agreed to do it," Jenny said.

"You know me, Jenny. I like to avoid fighting wherever possible," Mira said.

"Well, I can think of a certain someone who must be enjoying this," Jenny said, her eyes traveling surreptitiously to Strider. As Mira followed her gaze, she sighed but smiled.

"Mhm," she replied.

-o-

"Who are they talking about?!"

"LUCKY SON OF A BITCH!"

-o-

"Two bodacious babes are who _both_ masters of Transformation Magic! Someone pinch me, I'm dreaming!" Chapati exclaimed. "And again, I'm joined by a real ladies man himself, Mr. Yajima. What do you make of all this?"

"It makes me pine for my youth," Yajima replied with a grin.

"SO COOL!" Jason exclaimed.

-o-

Suddenly, a couple of voices cried out from the bleachers. Three figures jumped down and joined the models on the arena.

"You don't just expect us to let these bubble headed bimbos hog all the attention, do you?" one exclaimed.

"We have strong and beautiful chicas as well!" another said.

"Team Mermaid Heel is the ultimate in girl power!" Aranea and Risley exclaimed as they joined the fray along with Beth.

"This is embarrassing," Beth said, blushing.

-o-

"Sure you don't wanna join?" Millianna asked Kagura.

"I've rarely ever been surer of anything," Kagura sighed.

-o-

"I definitely did not see this coming! Mermaid Heel has joined the party. Even Risley ditched the junk in the trunk and brought the va-va-voom!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Hold it you guys!" two more voices suddenly cried out.

"All you girls are missing the most important thing! What good is skanking around in your swimsuits if you don't have the love to back it up?! If you want love, then you've got to give love," Sherry declared as she and Shelia entered the fray.

"And we're both bursting at the seams with it!" Shelia chirped.

-o-

No one was as happy as Macao, Wakaba, and Makarov - all of whom had hearts in their eyes. Levy, Cana, and Lisanna were shocked by the turn of events.

"I can understand Mira and Jenny, but…," Levy grumbled.

"Why are you ladies just watching from the sidelines?!" Master Mavis suddenly asked.

"What're you talking about?" Cana asked.

"Wait a minute - do you think _we_ should be down there?" Lisanna asked.

"Are we always supposed to have a swimsuit handy?" Cana asked ironically.

"No silly, but one should be prepared for everything! That's why I brought one for all of you!" Mavis exclaimed, thrusting her hands toward the sky and bringing down a torrent of swimsuits.

"Pay close attention boys! this is why we must never - _never_ \- question the infinite wisdom of our First Master!" Makarov said intensely. Wakaba and Macao nodded vigorously in agreement.

-o-

"You shouldn't stand around like a bunch of party poopers! Let's all go down there together!" Mavis exclaimed to Erza, Wendy, and Lucy.

"You're kidding, right?!" Lucy asked.

"Come, it'll be fun," Erza said with a smile.

-o-

"My body's made of water, so I can fill a swimsuit out better than the rest of these girls," Juvia said, getting comfortable

"You're competing too, huh?" Gajeel asked.

"But of course," she said. She blushed as she looked at Strider.

"You look stunning, Juvia," he said with a smile. She gave him a bright smile before walking out confidently.

-o-

In a few minutes, many of the women from the participating guilds were in the arena and strutting about. The men in the crowd ate it up, as did more than a handful of women.

"This has gotten quite a bit out of hand, wouldn't you say?" Mira asked Jenny happily.

"Yeah, but the fans are totally eating it up. Besides, it's all in good fun," Jenny said, waving at everyone.

"First up, school swimsuits!" Chapati yelled out.

Mira had changed into a tight blue swimsuit that accentuated her curves kindly, alongside Wendy, Levy, and Lisanna.

"Ok… this is getting a bit creepy," Levy said nervously.

"Wendy doesn't seem to out of place in hers," Lisanna said, smiling at the bluenette.

"I feel out of place!" Wendy exclaimed, blushing.

"Next up, bikinis and thigh-highs!" Chapati yelled.

Jenny was sporting a red and black bikini with a butterfly pattern as well as black thigh highs. Lucy sported the same thigh highs, but with a white bikini.

"It covers up more, but feels more embarrassing," she sighed.

-o-

"We don't have contests like this where I'm from," Strider said, enjoying the show.

"No?" Laxus wondered.

"It's a lot more conservative for most," Strider said.

"You don't seem to be to troubled by it," Laxus mentioned.

"Conservative ideals never meshed well with me," Strider shrugged.

-o-

"Bondage gear!" Chapati yelled.

"Sometimes, love has to HURT!" Sherry said, cracking a whip.

"You're scaring me!" Shelia exclaimed to her cousin.

Evergreen, who decided to leave Elfman for a minute, turned to Erza who she'd been competing with until now.

"So, _Titania,_ have you accepted your place beneath me yet?" she asked smugly.

"You dare speak to me?" Erza inquired, pointing her whip at Evergreen.

Evergreen noted her mistake, as she dropped to her knees.

"Sorry ma'am!" she bowed.

-o-

"Next up, we have a blushing brides challenge! Ladies, squeeze into a wedding dress and grab a lucky guy! Make yourselves presentable, gentlemen!" Chapati exclaimed. Besides the married men - Macao, Wakaba, Nab, Max - some of the male members of the guilds hopped into the arena. Strider found himself escorted in by Mira.

"What's going on?" he wondered.

"Haven't you been listening?" she asked.

"Been busy," he said with a smirk.

"Now it's time to get busy," she said.

"Ah. A bit public, don't you think?" Strider wondered. She blushed as she realized what she implied.

"Not _that!_ I need your help, though. It's a wedding dress challenge and I need a guy to be my husband. Do you mind?" she asked.

"It'd be an honor, milady," Strider said as he snapped his fingers.

Mira was stunned at the change. His usual garments were replaced by a beautiful, flowing, silky black fabric. It was soft to the touch and flowed down his body and onto the ground, the end of it brushing the ground gently. Not a speck of dust was visible, however; it seemed as though the ground itself was determined not to mitigate the robe. On his head was what appeared to be a silver crown with a tightly-wrought metal interlinking. There was a black jewel in the center of it that complimented the majestical robe.

"What…," she began to say, rubbing his chest and stomach, feeling the material.

"Specially made robe from back home. Keep it in a pocket dimension, just in case of an occasion such as this. The material is soft and light, and nigh indestructible. Never too hot, never too cold," Strider said.

"It's beautiful," she said.

"As are you," he said, tilting her head up. He took a moment to admire the white wedding dress she had donned. She blushed as she considered how they'd look in a picture perfect moment like this.

"Thanks," she said, taking his hand before locking their arms together.

"Oh. There's something I have for you, though," he said, suddenly stopping.

"Hmm? What's up?" she asked. Strider snapped his fingers yet again.

Looking down, Mira was surprised to see the change affect her as well. She gasped at the beauty of what was on her - a long, flowing white dress - whiter than anything else she had seen. It glowed lightly in the sun and seemed to repel the dirt as well. It exposed a slight bit of cleavage but was conservative by liberal standards. Lifting her arms, the light that shone through the dress gave her the appearance of a descending angel. Several girls looked on in surprise as they crowded her; the dress she wore was far and away the most beautiful they had seen. Strider put out his arm for Mira to take, which she did after admiring her garments.

"My goodness… this is…," she began before suddenly noticing a weight atop her head. She reached up and pulled off a crown, similar to the one Strider wore - except it had a bright blue jewel in the middle of it.

"A headpiece that belonged to… someone important," Strider said, managing a pained smile.

"It's stunning," Mira whispered, running her fingers along it. She looked at Strider again, noting the warm look he had in his eyes.

"It's not necessarily a wedding dress by the standards of this country, but it's close enough," Strider said, admiring her.

"It's beautiful is what it is. Thank you," she whispered.

"I'm glad you like it," he said.

"I love it. I absolutely love it," she said, giving him a quick hug before resuming their walk, spirits high.

"No fair!" Jenny suddenly exclaimed, latching onto his other arm. She wore a shoulderless, lilac colored wedding dress.

"You look beautiful as well, Jenny," Strider said, appreciating her beauty.

"Mira! Where'd you get that dress?!" Jenny suddenly asked, feeling the material.

"Courtesy of Strider," Mira said with a happy smile.

"Aww, I want one too!" she pouted. Strider chuckled and snapped his fingers yet again. Jenny underwent the same change; a moment later, she was wearing a lilac dress in the same style as Mira.

"Oh wow…," Jenny said, marveling the dress.

"Pretty sure this is supposed to be guy and girl, Jenny," Mira complained. She was slightly miffed that Strider gave Jenny a dress, but smiled slightly as she saw that she didn't have a headpiece like hers.

"I'm sure Strider can handle more than one lady. Isn't that right?" she asked.

"I believe anything I say can and will be used against me," he said cheerfully.

"Yeah, you're in a happy mood. Oh, come on, Mira! It's ju-," Jenny began.

"You don't look too bad," Cana said with a smile. She wore a stunning white dress that contrasted wonderfully with her hair. She had her hands crossed in front of her, looking more innocent than she had ever done.

"I could say the same for you. The dress looks marvelous on you," Strider said. Cana smiled and was about to thank him when they heard a scream from above. Lucy was falling down, having just gotten rid of Loke (who had whisked her away into the air). Strider quickly held his arms out in front, chuckling as he caught her.

"I'm not sure what this foretells," he said.

"Oh, thank God! Thanks for catching me! I thought I was a goner!" she exclaimed, giving him a hug.

"Not at all. I suppose it's a groom's honor to catch his bride. Or, perhaps, _brides_ in this case," Strider said.

"What? Oh… OH. OH CRAP!" Lucy exclaimed as she saw how Cana, Mira, and Jenny looked at her. She quickly got back on her feet, blushing madly. "I SWEAR that was an accident!"

"It's fine," Strider chuckled.

"Don't you look handsome," came a voice behind. As he turned, Strider felt his breath catch. Bisca wore a light green wedding dress, blushing slightly as she carried Asuka, who was laughing and giggling along.

"Mama! Look!" she exclaimed, pointing at Strider's robe. Bisca sighed as she handed the little girl over to him. She immediately began cuddling against the material, eliciting an airy _'awww'_ from the audience, as well as the other contenders.

"That's gotta be cheating," Cana whispered to Mira, who just grumbled. But as she saw the bright look on the mother and daughters face, she sighed and smiled; it was too precious to not adore.

"So soft!" Asuka said happily.

"Sorry about that," Bisca sighed.

"I don't mind," Strider said with a chuckle.

"Oooh, pretty," Asuka said with bright eyes as she spotted the crown on his head. Strider nodded down, allowing her to pick it off his head. Asuka turned it over in her hands, looking at it with wonder and amazement.

"Glad you like it," Strider said.

"What is it?" Bisca asked as she ran a finger along it.

"Made of a special metal from back home. _Mithril_ is what it's called. Nigh indestructible. I had it specially made by a friend; took him days to get the material malleable enough that he could do anything with it," Strider said.

"It's certainly beautiful," Bisca said.

"Much like you. You look stunning in that dress," he said.

"Thanks," she said with a small smile. The two stared at each other for a long while before they were interrupted by a loud squeal.

"IS THAT YOUR DAUGHTER, BISCA?!" Erza exclaimed. Strider laughed as he passed the child over to Erza, who had become like a child. He watched with amusement as she pinched and patted the little girl, who laughed at her antics as well.

"Erza seems to love children," he mused.

"More like Erza loves cute things just as much as the next person," Mira giggled, grabbing as arm again. "What happened to you being my husband?" she asked with a pout.

"I'm sure I can think of something to make it up to you," Strider laughed.

"That's not fair!" Jenny exclaimed grabbing his other arm. "Besides, we're a match made in heaven."

"What! How do you figure that?!" Cana demanded.

"Number one model in Fiore and probably the strongest Mage in Fiore. Just makes sense," she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Like hell it does!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Must…," came a dark voice behind them all.

"Hmm?" Jenny wondered, turning back.

"Kill…," Juvia drawled, wearing a sky blue wedding dress.

"Uhh… what? Isn't she in your guild?" Jenny asked Mira.

"I think we better duck," Mira sighed.

"All… of… yo…-," Juvia began.

"Juvia, my dear - you look magnificent," Strider suddenly said. All the dark aura suddenly disappeared as Juvia blushed madly and looked at him.

"Oh, really? Y-you think so?" she asked, twirling a bit.

"I do," he said. As soon as he said that, it was as though Juvia's eyes turned into hearts. She began to melt yet again.

"Is she gonna be ok?!" Jenny asked in a panicked voice.

"It's just Juvia being Juvia," Strider said. He went over and helped her up a bit. "There we go. But yes, I mean it. Not sure anyone could pull that dress off like you."

"Hehehehehe," Juvia giggled relentlessly.

"Anyway, that was nice and all - but if you girls will excuse Strider and I for a second, we have to do a walk around the arena," Mira said, quickly pulling Strider away from the others. They would've followed, had the gentlemen still unable to find a bride not accost them.

"Won't lose me that easily," Jenny suddenly said, grabbing his other arm. Mira sighed but decided not to press the point. She felt Strider disentangle his arm from hers a bit; his hand descended and locked with hers. They looked sideways at each other with a smile and continued.

"Really, you two look wonderful. I think I might just be the luckiest guy in existence," he said.

"Damn right about that," Jenny said, quickly giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"It looks like our two top contestants have it out for the mysterious Strider from Fairy Tail B!" Chapati yelled, drawing more attention to them.

"WHAT?! That's not fair!"

"Lucky bastard…"

"Lucky bastard?! More like lucky girls!"

"Hope you're ready for more attention," Mira sighed.

"Decidedly not," Strider said, although he put on a smile for the crowd. They began showering the competitors with petals soon, much to the amusement of the ladies and the reticence of the gentlemen.

"So Strider…," Jenny began with a smirk.

"Mmm?" he wondered.

"Whose number one? Me? Or Mira?" she asked.

"The correct answer here is: I'd rather chop my own head off than answer," Strider said.

"Come onnnn," she cooed.

"Nope. Not with a mile long pole, Miss Realight," he said.

"Ms. Realight-Strider," she giggled, waving at the crowd.

"Looks like the others are having just as much fun," Mira whispered, nodding behind her. Strider chuckled as he saw some of the going ons. Jet and Droy were fighting over who would get Levy's hand in marriage.

-o-

"Not so fast, buddy! Levy's _never_ going to marry you!" Droy yelled, punching his best friend in the face.

"You think she wants you instead?!" Jet asked, punching back.

Levy, however, only had eyes for one person. Deciding to take the initiative, she went over and pulled Gajeel up.

"What're you-," he began before Levy locked arms with him.

"I need a partner for the rest of this event," she said, blushing madly.

"What ab-," he said before looking over to Jet and Droy. The two seemed to be locked in a brutal fistfight. Sighing, he acquiesced to her demands.

-o-

"Would you partner with me, Carla?" Happy asked, getting on a knee.

"Well, we are both Exceeds," she nodded. Close by, Lisanna and rushed over to Natsu.

"Hey, Natsu," she said with a lovely smile.

"Huh? Oh wow. You look really nice, Lisanna," Natsu said, admiring her beauty.

"So do you," she said happily.

"Huh? What do-," Natsu said before yelping as he looked down. He was out of his usual clothes and in a white tuxedo. "WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED?!"

"Wedding dress contest, remember? The girls need to team up with a guy. Do you want to?" she asked with a blush.

"Huh? Oh, I…," Natsu began.

"Remember those times when we were kids and pretended to be married?" she asked. Natsu couldn't help but smile as he remembered, vividly, the time when he and Lisanna looked after the egg that Happy hatched from.

"Yeah. Sure," he finally said. Lisanna smiled wide and took his arm, leading him around. As Mira saw, she squealed in delight.

"They're so cute together," she cooed to Strider.

-o-

"Ladies and gents, I hope you're enjoying this special event these lovely ladies have put on for you! Another round of applause for the illustrious Mirajane Strauss and Jenny Realight!" Chapati yelled. The crowd broke into their loudest cheer yet as they cheered the two beauties on, who continued to wave at them.

"Enjoying yourself?" Jenny asked Strider.

"Very much. I certainly hope you two are as well. Hope I make good husband material he laughed.

"I know I am," Jenny said, kissing his cheek again.

"And you, Mira?" Strider asked. Mira turned to him and smiled brightly. She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, resting there for a few seconds.

"I am, too," she said. Strider felt the spot where her lips touched him burn a bit hot, a feeling he hadn't had for a while.

Suddenly, a loud voice cried out from atop one of the stone giants around the arena.

"YOU FOOLISH YOUNG PEOPLE! LET OOBA TEACH YOU A LESSON!" yelled Ooba, master of Lamia Scale. She leaped spray into the arena, more so than anyone could believe for someone her age. As she landed, she was spinning around in her bathing suit. The crowd went quiet. Some looked on in surprise, others in glee, but most in despondence at the sight.

-o-

"And with that, ladies and gentlemen, we return to our match," Chapati said sadly.

"Looks like our brides are still finishing their round," Yajima said, nodding to Mira and Jenny still locked arm in arm with Strider.

"I suppose that's my cue to leave. Best of luck to you. Can't wait to see who wins the match," Strider said. He quickly kissed both of them on the cheek before taking his leave - to cheers and boos from the arena.

"Oh, it looks like our competitors are still in their wedding dresses! That's quite an interesting style, I must say," Chapati noted as Mira and Jenny returned to their spots. The two looked down again, smiling as they saw how beautiful the dresses looked on them and the other.

"I agree. I've never seen something that beautiful," Yajima noted.

-o-

"The dresses are quite splendid," Mavis agreed from the rafters.

"They kinda look similar to what Strider was wearing. Oh, I hope he can make me some!" Lisanna chirped as she admired how her big sister looked.

-o-

"Quite beautiful," Lucy said. She deadpanned as she saw how despondent Erza looked.

"I was too enamored by how adorable Bisca's daughter is to even pay attention to the match," she sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll have other opportunities," Lucy said, consoling her.

"So Natsu…," Gray suddenly said with a smirk.

"Sup?" he wondered.

"Lisanna," Gray said.

"YOU WANT ME TO THROW YOU INTO THE RING?! WE CAN GO RIGHT NOW, SNOW QUEEN!" Natsu began. A glare from Erza quickly shut him down.

-o-

"Striderrrrr," Jenny called out to him before he reached the dugout.

"Hmm?" he wondered, turning back.

"Would you mind changing Jenny and I back into our regular outfits?" Mira asked, winking at him. Strider bowed dramatically before snapping his fingers. Mira returned to wearing the black dress she had started the match in, while Jenny wore her purple dress.

"Thank you," they said in unison, blowing a kiss at him. He responded with another dramatic bow and smile.

"Looks like these beautiful bombshells have it out for Strider of Fairy Tail!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Oh what I wouldn't give to be young again," Chapati said airily.

"Looks like it's just you and I again," Jenny said.

"It was fun while it lasted," Mira admitted.

"So before we end this, how about we make a bet like everyone else?" Jenny wondered.

"I'm game," Mira said, smiling.

"Whoever loses has to pose in Sorcerer's Weekly wearing nothing but her birthday suit," Jenny said.

The crowd went dead silent, hanging on every word.

"Sure," Mira said happily.

It was as though a bomb went off. The entire arena erupted into the loudest applause they could. Windows in the city below the arena began to shake as the excitement reached them.

-o-

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who to root for," Macao said weakly.

"Me neither," Wakaba agreed.

"WHAT?!" Lisanna exclaimed, surprised that Mira would agree.

"Elfman won't like it if she lost," Levy said.

-o-

"UNBELIEVABLE. THIS JUST MIGHT BE A BET WHERE EVERYONE WINS!" Chapati exclaimed, sweating bullets.

 _'Perfect. Guess Strider might be able to see her in all her glory faster than she thought,'_ Jenny thought, beginning to transform.

"Oh, let's keep with tradition like everyone else as well! We'll end this with a battle," Mira said, transforming as well.

"Wait, are you serious?" Jenny asked lamely.

"Yup," Mira said as she changed into her Satan Soul: Sitri. She was decked out in a long, flowing black cape and wore and a tight white and blue armor with horns jutting out on either side of her head. Jenny could only gulp as Mira rushed her. In one not-very-powerful swipe, Jenny had lost the battle - and the crowd had erupted into a volcanic cheer.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE WINNER OF THE FIGHT: MIRAJANE STRAUSS FROM FAIRY TAIL B!" Chapati yelled.

"If this'll make you feel any better, I'll buy an issue it first comes out. I'm sure Strider will as well," Mira said, smiling at Jenny as she changed back. Jenny could only comically cry and hug herself in response.

"Huh. Never knew she had it in her," Gajeel said.

"Yeah, she's brutal. That's why you always want to stay on her good side," Laxus said.

"That was amazing, Mira!" Juvia exclaimed as Mira reached them.

"Thanks, but that whole experience was more than a little embarrassing," Mira said with a blush.

"I thought you did amazing," Strider said.

"Going to buy an issue of Sorcerer's Weekly next week?" she wondered. Strider just winked in response, eliciting a playful punch from her.

-o-

"And now, for our fourth and final match of the day! From Sabertooth, we have Yukino Agria and from Mermaid Heel, Kagura Mikazuchi!" Chapati announced. The two ladies solemnly made their way to the arena.

"I suppose that in the spirit of the games, you and I should make a bet like the other participants," Yukino mused.

"I've no interest in casual bets," Kagura replied, eyes closed.

"Perhaps something a bit more serious, then?" Yukino wondered.

"And what do you have in mind?" Kagura asked.

"How about our lives?" Yukino offered, stunning the crowd.

-o-

"What, loser dies?" Strider wondered.

"I don't think so. At least, I hope not," Mira offered.

"Stupid bet to make," Strider sighed.

-o-

"Agreed," Kagura nodded.

Yukino was the first to attack. She summoned two massive fishes to the arena - her Celestial Spirits, Pisces

-o-

"No way! She's a Celestial Spirit Mage!" Lucy said, awestruck. She was paying intense attention to the match; she had only one run in with a Celestial Spirit Mage before this.

-o-

The black and white colored fishes lunged at Kagura, but she dodged gracefully with a high jump. Yukino followed up by summoning another spirit - the scale holding Libra.

"You know what to do," Yukino told her spirit. Libra nodded and began to alter the gravity in the arena. Kagura was buffeted slightly but quickly turned the tables by negating the effects. Libra and Yukino both looked surprised.

-o-

"Ha. That won't work for her. Kagura is a master of Gravity Magic. Hell, she's the one that taught me," Risley said with a smile.

-o-

Yukino surprised the crowd a third time - most of all, Lucy - by taking out another key. She summoned her third spirit, Ophiuchus the Snake Charmer, when Kagura suddenly attacked. She didn't even draw her blade before lunging at the spirit. The white scabbard tore through the spirit and obliterated it. Yukino was standing clear on the other side. Kagura continued her attack, closing the distance between her and her opponent.

-o-

"She should move," Strider mused, closely watching Kagura.

-o-

Yukino had no chance to do anything before Kagura was behind her. With a thud, Yukino fell - utterly and totally defeated. The match was over in no time at all.

-o-

"She's quite impressive," Erza said in surprise. An adept swordswoman herself, she'd never seen anyone like Kagura before.

"NO KIDDING! HOLY CRAP!" Natsu exclaimed, impressed and slightly terrified by the vulgar display of power.

-o-

"She didn't even unsheathe her sword!" Mira exclaimed.

"Heh. She might be able to give you a run for your money," Gajeel said to Strider.

"Perhaps I'll find out," Strider answered. He felt Anglachel move gently at his side. The sword was aware of the match and power excited it.

-o-

"Will you honor our wager?" Kagura asked coldly as she loomed over the crying Yukino. She nodded but could offer no other response.

"And what that, folks, Day Two of the Grand Magic Games comes to a close! We hope to see you all again tomorrow for Day Three!" Chapati yelled as everyone began to file out.

-o-

Fairy Tail was celebrating the day. Both Elfman and Mira had racked up wins for their respective teams, while Natsu and Gajeel's spirit during Chariot brought up everyone's mood.

"Hell of a match, Elfman," Macao said, throwing him a drink. Elfman caught it with a grunt and nodded his appreciation, looking for a seat to get some rest.

"That dress was so beautiful, Mira," Lisanna squealed to her sister.

"Thanks, but that was all Strider," Mira said with a smile. She regretted saying that as she saw Lisanna's eyes brighten a bit. "Lis…"

"That's so adorable!" Lisanna squealed.

-o-

"How're you feeling, Wendy?" Strider asked as the bluenette worked on healing Elfman a bit more.

"I'm feeling a lot better! I think I'll be able to compete the next few days," she said brightly.

"I'm happy to hear that. Just don't push yourself too much, alright?" he advised her.

"Indeed. I shall make of that personally," Carla declared.

-o-

"So three more days?" Erza asked Master Makarov.

"Indeed. They're adding an extra day for the events before the Final Match, which is a free for all between all teams. It also looks like we're gonna be staying after the Games end," Makarov said.

"Oh? Why's that, Master?" Lucy wondered.

"From what I learned, there's going to be another event held after the Games. The King is staying mum on the matter, but rumors indicate a large event of some kind," Makarov said.

"I hope it's not another fight," Lucy grumbled.

"I really hope it's another fight," Natsu piped in.

-o-

"Don't want to join the festivities?" Mira asked Strider, who was sitting at the bar area.

"I enjoy observing, myself," he replied.

"I can tell. You were really focused on the match between Jenny and I," she giggled.

"Ha. I'm about to head out for a walk, though. Care to join?" he asked.

"Sure," Mira said.

-o-

Strider let Mira guide him throughout the streets of Crocus. Along the way, they shook several hands and signed countless autographs before finally finding a quiet area in the gardens, away from prying eyes.

"Thanks again for the dress, by the way," she said. Strider smiled and snapped his fingers. Mira was again wearing the white dress and mithril crown from the match.

"I'm used to my own Takeover, but this is just incredible," she said.

"I'm afraid I'm limited to what I can deliver. They already exist and are in a pocket dimension; it's not as versatile as yours. That said, do you like it?" he wondered, caressing the fabric.

"I love it. A lot," she said, feeling the material. "What's it made of?"

"It's specially made with a material from my homeland, as well as imbued with some Magic. I can safely say nothing more comfortable exists in the world," Strider.

"The crown?" she wondered, taking it off again.

"Mithril. An especially hard and difficult to work with material from my homeland. It takes a special smith to weave it like that. It's a good thing I knew just the right people," he chuckled.

"What about the jewel?" she wondered, tapping the beautiful blue stone.

"I found it during a raid. It was part of a dragon hoard that was claimed by the enemy. They melted as much as they could for weaponry, but we managed to drive them out. A gemologist and historian friend of mine looked into the historicity of it. She mentioned it came from over the sea ages ago, brought to our land by the first settlers. They lived in peace for a long time before the dragon attacked them. This particular stone belonged to the Queen that led that particular tribe. She imbued some of the jewels with her particular brand of magic, which made it indestructible as well as protected the wearer from some things - disease, poison, venom. It was difficult to work with, but eventually, it was set in the headpiece. I gave it to… I… gave…," Strider suddenly trailed off. Mira saw the color drain from his face as his memories traveled to a far more troubled time.

"She must've been special," Mira said quietly.

"She was," Strider said, gulping.

"Was it… the girl you told me about? Anairë?" Mira asked tentatively.

"Yes," was all Strider said.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to be so…," Mira said.

"It's… not your fault," Strider said before sighing heavily. "I haven't had to talk about her for a long time. It's difficult when I do."

"I understand. You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," Mira said.

"It's not that. It's… talking about it at all is difficult. It's not because of you," Strider said, his fingers going to his left shoulder. Mira saw him caress it gently, something that piqued her interest.

"Is your shoulder alright?" she asked.

"More or less," he said. However, she didn't believe him. Gently, she removed his hand from his shoulder and began to roll the shirt down. Strider wanted to object but opted against it. As she saw the black spot, she felt a pitfall in her stomach.

There was a massive black spot there, not unlike the mark of a sword or polearm that had thrust through. The veins surrounding it were ignited black; it was as though whatever happened was spreading through his bloodstream.

"My God…," she whispered, touching it gingerly. Strider recoiled as she did. "What happened?"

"A cursed weapon will do that to you," he sighed.

"A sword did that?!" she asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. Cursed blade, wielded by a cursed user. The weapon that did it was specially made for the wielder. A stab is enough to kill a person, usually. If it doesn't do it quickly, the poison eventually will. If it doesn't kill you, it mutates you," Strider said.

"But… how are you…?" she asked.

"I was brought to a healer at just the right time. Would've been a goner otherwise," Strider sighed. "Stroke of luck, if there ever was one."

"What do you mean by mutate?" she asked.

"The person that stabbed me was a Wraith. A spirit of sorts. But an extremely powerful one at that. He was part of the enemies vanguard, a king amongst them. I… had my attention momentarily occupied, which is when he got me. The weapon itself is designed to whittle away at the life force of someone and eventually turned them to a Wraith as well. The process takes time, but unless it's stopped, either death or transformation is inevitable," he said.

"Did you…?" she began, wondering how to ask.

"Begin to transform?" he asked. Mira nodded. "Almost immediately, it poisoned me. My companions took me to the home of one of the few that could treat it. After it was treated, I rested for a long time to heal."

"Does it hurt?" she asked, her eyes fixed on it. The black spot inspired a certain dread inside her.

"Every day. Every night. Not a bit of time passes that I don't remember it a bit," he sighed. She tried to touch it again, even softer than before; and still, he recoiled.

"How does a weapon like that…" she began.

"Power and hate," Strider said simply.

"The one who did it to you?" she asked.

"Gone," Strider said.

"Did you…?" she began, slightly uncomfortably. It was something that always came to her when she taught about him, but she never wanted to ask. _Did you kill him? Did you kill them?_ She knew that the answer was yes - how could it not be? It was war. While the concept wasn't entirely foreign to her, the act of doing so was. Fiore had been free from war for centuries; the same with Ishgar at large. Even in all the fights they had participated in - against the Seis, or Phantom Lord, or in Edolas - they hadn't killed a single person. "Nevermind."

"I know what you were going to ask. But in this case, the answer is no. He didn't make it, that much is certain. But not at my hands, although we did clash a bit," Strider said, gritting his teeth.

 _'I would've,'_ he thought. _'Happily.'_

"You couldn't beat him?" she asked in surprise.

"Whenever I got close, the mark would flare up in pain. He could still control it to a certain extent, although only in close quarters," Strider said.

"You said he was a king amongst them? It sounds like he was really strong," she said.

"You've no idea. _The Witch King of Angmar_. For the land that he had taken. Terrible weather," Strider said with a sardonic chuckle before sighing and rubbing his face. "It's going to take a long time for me to get it up and running again."

"What do you mean?" she asked in surprise.

"The land he used to own belongs to me now," Strider said.

"What?" she asked, doubly surprised.

"Angmar. His realm. After I went back home, there was a meeting to divvy up the lands. As you can imagine, there's a lot of lands no one wants. Part of it is because it's so desolate, that changing it could take more than a hundred years. The other part… superstition. Some people just don't want the land because of the… rather disconcerting history. That said, the world is growing. Eventually, people will spread further and further. For lands like these, where evil is steeped and grounded, nothing grows. As a… _reward_ … for my service in the war, I took the land no one else wanted for myself. Someone had to. It's part of the reason that I'll be traveling back sometimes. Restoration has been underway for seven years. We're making progress, but it'll take a while to finish," Strider said.

"Couldn't you let anyone else do it? You've… done so much already," Mira said, cupping his cheek. Strider smiled at the touch. He brushed some loose strands of hair behind her ear, eliciting a gentle blush.

"I could. But… no. No, I couldn't. I want to make it a better place for tomorrow," he said.

"But you're here," she reminded him.

"I've entrusted parts to the men and women that I know best - all of whom served with or under me during the war. They're all powerful, as well as well respected and loved. Not to mention, they can do some things better than I ever could," he said. Mira sighed and nodded, moving a bit closer.

"You've been through so much," she said, resting her head against his chest.

"I suppose I live in interesting times. Could be worse, though," he said, hugging her.

"Yeah? How's that?" she wondered.

"Could be without you," he said.

"Ha-ha," she said, smiling and rolling her eyes.

"I mean it," he said leaning back a bit. "You deserve my thanks. I'm not sure I would've felt quite as home here if it wasn't for you and Fairy Tail."

"We're lucky to have you," she said with a smile.

The two stared at each other for a long time under the twinkling stars, Mira still wearing the wedding dress and the headpiece on her head. She had had the thought a thousand times by now, and she felt the time right. Leaning up, she kissed Strider. He took the motion in stride, feeling the pain finally go away, only to be replaced by a burning sensation in his stomach. He grabbed Mira's thighs and brought her on to his lap, wrapping her legs around his waist. Mira tightened them, thrusting herself close, feeling as though she was going to melt into his. Parting her lips, she let Strider enter and explore, giving him the taste he wanted and having her own in return. She moaned pleasurably into the kiss as she felt him squeeze her thigh with a rough hand. Her fingers wove through his hair, making sure to keep him in place; his did the same. Each tasted the other with passion and excitement, insatiable and wanting more.

"MIRAJANE STRAUSS!" a voice suddenly roared out. Mira and Strider continued the kiss for a second longer before parting, their lips just a centimeter away. Both breathed heavily, inhaling the others succulent scent. Finally, Mira turned to see who yelled and immediately turned red - both at what she and Strider had just done and that they were seen doing so.

Erza, Cana, and Lucy were standing there with indescribable emotions running across their faces.

"Fuck," Mira moaned, wondering what was going to happen. She turned to Strider, who was still looking at her. His eyes were warm and inviting as always, but this time she saw something else there; something she couldn't describe. Finally, he spoke.

"That's about right," he sighed. He would've continued, but they were suddenly interrupted by something else: a massive explosion. Strider jumped up, letting Mira down, his eyes fixated on the explosion.

"I'll see you all back at the hotel," he said, erupting into the sky. Mira sighed before turning to Erza, Cana, and Lucy - pale white.

"You. Hotel. Now," Erza demanded of her. With a sigh, she followed along, surrounded by the three formidable Mages - all of whom didn't know how to process what had just happened.

-o-

Strider soon landed at the site of the explosion; the rented home of Sabertooth. Looking around, he saw the source of the destruction. Natsu, for reasons unknown to him, attacked Saberooth and was attacking their Master. He quickly pulled Natsu back just as a beautiful woman in blue appeared in front of their master, holding a blue cat. She had waist length glossy black hair, most of it running down her back save for two buns on top of her head. She wore dark lipstick and had sharp eyes. She wore a beautiful blue cheongsam with a large slit running down the left, exposing a long, tan leg. She was, in a word, beautiful.

"Happy!" Natsu yelped.

"Natsu!" Happy cried back.

"Natsu!" Strider yelled.

"Strider?" Natsu asked, incredulous.

"Frosche!" Frosche interjected.

"What's going on here?" Strider asked.

"These scumbags don't know how to treat someone in their own guild!" Natsu snarled as the lady in blue released Happy back to Natsu.

"How our guild operates is none of your concern," she said.

"When you make your own guildmate strip and remove their mark?! Where the hell do you get off treating someone like that?!" Natsu demanded. It suddenly clicked for Strider. Sabertooth must've excommunicated the girl that lost to Kagura.

 _'They stripped her?'_ Strider thought, feeling his anger surge forward. Others must've felt it as well, for several guild members retreated. He had overseen men and women in his command; how they could treat someone that should've been like family in such a manner was beyond him.

"Enough, Natsu. We'll handle this in the arena," Strider said, grinding his teeth. Natsu snarled at Minerva before turning away and leaping down.

The guild regarded Strider; some of them looked ready to pounce on him. Strider couldn't help but smile at how brave some of them seemed.

"I haven't done anything except break up the fight. But if you want to continue it, feel free. Come," he said, drawing Anglachel. The sword vibrated imperceptibly in his hand. As it felt the fear, however, it stopped.

' _Hmph. Even it can tell they're cowards,'_ he thought, seeing looks of fears.

"Good choice," he said, sheathing the sword and turning away.

'Your guild mates got some guts," the burly old man sad. He was bare-chested with a massive, white beard and large, red balls around his neck. Strider eyed him before scoffing.

"That he does, old man," Strider said.

"He's not going to get away with it," the old man said.

"We can settle it in the arena. Unless you're feeling younger," Strider said mockingly.

"You're in _our_ house right now," the old man said.

"I assume you're the Master of the guild? Or would it be you?" he asked, turning to the beautiful lady. She smiled as she looked him up and down.

"My father is the Master of the guild. Jiemma," she said, nodding at the old man. "You must be Strider. I saw your match with Jura."

"I trust you enjoyed it?" he asked.

"More than you might guess," she said, her voice more than a little seductive. Strider felt more angry eyes on him as she spoke like that.

"You should let the old man know that just because he can't get it up anymore doesn't mean he should be stripping young girls. I trust nothing more happened to her. Otherwise, I might have to come back. I'd much rather settle this during the Games," he said.

"You have my word that nothing more happened to her. But trust that this won't go unpunished. However, we will leave that for the Games. Good night, Strider," she said.

"And you are…?" he wondered.

"Minerva Orland," she replied.

"I see. Good night, Minerva," Strider said. He erupted into the sky, destroying more of the apartment in his wake. Minerva bit her lip as she watched him. Power, more than anything, impressed her. Sting and Rogue raised an eyebrow at each other as they saw the look in her eye.

-o-

"What the hell were you thinking, Natsu?" Erza yelled.

"I couldn't let them get away with something like that! Lucky for them I'm such a reasonable guy," Natsu continued.

"It's not Natsu's fault! If I didn't let that girl capture me, Natsu could've creamed that old guy," Happy said despondently.

"There's no need to feel so sad, Happy! It's good that it turned out that way. If Natsu injured their Master, we could've been disqualified," Wendy said.

"DO YOU EVEN HAVE A BRAIN IN YOUR HEAD?!" Gray demanded of his best friend

"TELL HIM GRAY! IF HE DOESN'T LISTEN, YOU CAN BEAT IT INTO HIM!" Lucy said.

"What the HELL were you thinking?! I mean, why do you get to have all the fun?! I would've loved to beat on those guys!" Gray exclaimed.

"I'm going back right now!" Natsu declared.

"Count me in!" Gray said.

"Neither of you is going," Strider suddenly said.

"STRIDER! Did you beat on that old guy?!" Natsu asked.

"We would've been disqualified if I did that, Natsu," Strider said, smiling. "I know you're angry. I am as well. What they did to Yukino is terrible. But going off like that isn't going to help anyone. Put that anger to good use during the Games. I've no doubt you'll end up against Sabertooth soon. Save it for then."

-o-

As Strider left the room, Erza and Lucy followed. He as he turned to them.

"So…," he began.

"Don't. Even. Start," Lucy said, holding up a hand. Strider sighed and nodded.

"What…," Erza began, more than a little uncomfortable.

"It just happened, Erza. I promise that it wasn't part of a plan or anything," he said.

"And you…," she trailed off.

"I don't know," Strider said. Erza nodded, sighing deeply before rubbing her face.

"I hope Mira's still alive," he sighed. The two simply blushed.

"Get some sleep. We'll discuss it later. But we _will_ discuss it," Erza told him. Strider nodded. Wishing them a good night, he headed to his room.

-o-

As he got to his room, Strider noted a paper at the foot of the door. He scanned the front page as he entered.

 _'DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE IN ALVAREZ: NOW EXCEEDING 150,000'_

 _'150,000 huh? Wonder how many you and I killed?'_ he thought, looking at Anglachel. The sword stood still, eliciting a scoff from him. Taking his shirt off, he looked at the black mark with disgust. Feeling more tired than ever, he quickly collapsed on the bed, quickly succumbing to nightmares.


	20. Grand Magic Games: Day 3 - Dúnedain

"Hey," Mira said softly, bright red as she entered Strider's room, making sure to lock the door behind her.

"Good morning, Mira," Strider said, smiling at her. She sighed in relief; the previous night was all she could think about right now.

"So…," she began.

"Yeah. Happy to see that you're well, at least," he said.

"Barely. Erza, Cana, and Lucy were pretty… well, you know," she said.

"I've no doubt about it," Strider said, his gaze piercing hers. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"We have to, I think," she said, taking a seat next to him. "Although… maybe it's better if we wait until the Games finish. If we get distracted right now, it might not be a good idea."

"I agree," Strider said with a sigh. Suddenly, he swooped down and kissed her again. He quickly laid her on the bed, running a hand down her side. Mira quickly grabbed it and brought it up to her cheek as she returned the kiss passionately. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him in closer, ecstatic as she tasted him. As they separated, her breathing was heavy.

"What… was that for?" she asked, feeling his breath tickle her lips.

"Another taste?" he offered. "I hope you don't mind."

"No. Not at all," she said, clutching his shirt tight. She quickly gave him another kiss before hastily exiting, her heart and mind a flutter.

-o-

"Folks, allow me to welcome you all to the third day of the Grand Magic Games! As our competitors make their way to the arena, we prepare for our event of the day: Pandemonium! I'm joined yet by Mr. Yajima, as well as Lahar - the Head Captain of the Custody Enforcement Unit! Good to see you, gentlemen," Chapati greeted them.

"Thank you. And I'd like to remind any would-be cheaters out there that I will be watching," Lahar said with a good-natured smile, eliciting a light laugh from the audience.

-o-

"Best of luck, my love!" Juvia exclaimed, giving Strider a hug as he went on for the challenge of the day.

"Thank you, Juvia," Strider said, returning the hug before giving one to Mira.

"Like you need it," Gajeel said with a smirk.

"Could always use more luck," Strider said before walking out.

-o-

Meanwhile, Strider was joined by Erza, Milianna, Obra, Hibiki, Olga, Jura, and Novali from the rechristened Quatro Puppy. Erza and Strider nodded at each other; whoever won, it would no doubt be someone from Fairy Tail.

"Welcome, participants, to Pandemonium! The goal of this event is to defeat the monsters that await you in the castle!" Mato pointed as a large castle descended from the sky.

-o-

"Fascinating," Strider said, continually intrigued and impressed with the scale of the Games.

"Guessing you don't have stuff like this where you're from?" Erza wondered.

"Hardly, and certainly not on this scale. It's amazing, really. This country takes Magic to a level I never really considered," he said.

"You're pretty powerful yourself," she pointed out.

"Sure, but there's not many people like me back home. We definitely don't have Games like this," he mused.

-o-

"The monsters in the castle range from D-Class to S-Class! To give you an idea of what you'll be up against, here's a D-Class monster!" Mato exclaimed, pointing at the titantron. It showed a monster on all fours ramming and destroying a large pillar. "And if you think that's scary, wait until you see what an S-Class monster looks like! I'm not sure even a wizard saint could handle them!"

"We'll see," Jura said with a smile, eager for the challenge.

"The rules are simple! Each competitor will go one by one and choose how many monsters they want to fight! It'll be randomized, though - so if you choose to fight one, you could get a D-Class or S-Class! We'll keep going until every monster is destroyed or until everyone's Magic runs out! If you lose, you'll keep your points from previous rounds but the current round will be voided! To choose who goes first, please draw a number!" Mato exclaimed, holding out some sticks.

Strider drew first, while Erza drew eight and would go last.

"Ah. Looks like I'm up first, then," Strider said, to a resounding cheer from the crowd. Everyone was excited to see him go at it again. Erza noted a glint in his eye that she hadn't seen before; unlike other matches, he seemed excited this time.

"So, how many will it be, Strider?" Mato asked.

"Well, it's a hundred monsters total? Let's go with one hundred, then" Strider said. The crowd went quiet while the other contestants, minus Erza, seemed shocked. Even Fairy Tail looked surprised by the challenge.

-o-

"All of them?!" Levy asked, surprised.

"Guess I'm not too surprised," Bisca sighed.

"Think he can do it?" Lisanna asked nervously.

"I've no doubt that he can," Bisca said firmly.

-o-

"I expected no less," Erza said with a smile. Strider just winked in response. He heard a mad cackling from Natsu and Gray; both of them were excited to see him get to work.

"Uhh… we designed this game to be played for multiple rounds," Mato said, unsure.

"I'm sure this will be much more exciting to see. Either I'll win or lose. I imagine most would be fine with either," Strider said.

"Ah… well, it's your choice! Head on in!" Mato said. Strider began to ascend the path; as he did so, he pulled out Anglachel.

-o-

As he entered the room, he turned Anglachel over in his hand a few times and rolled his neck, as though limbering himself. Suddenly, a D-Class monster rushed him. Before it got close, however, its body seized up. Strider lifted it up and threw it into a wall, shattering it completely. He felt the wind rush in, carrying the cheers of the crowd inside.

 _'Not much blood, but you'll get some excitement,'_ he thought to his sword. He strode towards the D-Class monsters in front of him and quickly began to carve a path. One that rushed him found itself telekinetically stopped; Strider soon pulled it close and drove the sword deep into the skull, obliterating it. Turning his gaze to the others, he continued the carnage. A particular monster swooped down from above and whisked him up. Strider quickly cut its feet off and as he pelted to the ground, he conjured up a massive telekinetic shield around him. As he got closer, the monsters began to feel pressure on their bodies; seconds later, they were crushed under the weight of the telekinetic shield. He brought down the body of the flyer that had picked him up and patiently waited for monsters to show themselves.

-o-

"Not a scratch on him," Laxus said, impressed.

"I know that look," Mira sighed.

"What look?" Juvia asked in a whisper.

"Laxus wants to fight him now. Same with Gajeel," Mira said, nodding at the Dragon Slayer who was watching with a childish grin. "Gray and Natsu as well, if I had to guess."

"What do you think of how he's doing, Mira?" Juvia wondered.

"Really well. Laxus isn't wrong. There isn't a scratch on him. I'm not sure why he's just standing there, though," Mira mused.

-o-

"YEAH! GO STRIDER! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Natsu roared in delight, fire escaping his mouth.

"I can't wait to kick his ass one of these days," Gray said excitedly.

"Get in line! I'm the one who's gonna challenge him!" Natsu yelled.

"WHAT?! He already beat you, remember?!" Gray reminded him.

"WHICH IS WHY I GET TO FIGHT HIM FIRST!" Natsu shouted.

"Boys," Lucy sighed.

"I think Erza could've done the same," Wendy suddenly said.

"What's that, Wendy?" Lucy asked.

"I mean fighting all the monsters. Erza's really strong too," Wendy said.

"I agree. She's probably mostly upset that she won't have a chance to," Lucy sighed.

-o-

As Strider erupted to another level, he was faced with more monsters. Again, he rolled his neck; but as he stopped, his eyes and mouth suddenly erupted a blazing blue. He lunged at one and held the palm of his hand to its head. The monster's eyes began to burn the same eerie electric blue as Striders and suddenly, it turned on its companions. The four-legged beast began to cut a swath, tearing up its own companions while Strider took out a few more extraneous beasts.

-o-

"What was that?" Millianna asked, surprised.

"I'm not sure. It looks like he's controlling it, though. I don't think I've ever seen Magic like that," Hibiki said, consulting his Archive. No hits.

"That seems like cheating," Novali said gruffly.

"It appears he has more than a few tricks up his sleeve," Jura said, smiling.

"Erzy?" Millianna wondered. Erza simply shrugged, watching the match intensely. "Scaaaaary."

-o-

"Interesting," Mavis said thoughtfully, paying close attention.

"First Master?" Makarov wondered.

"It appears to be the same attack he used to command the sentinel. Although, it appears he's not limited to just one subordinate," Mavis said; Strider had just used the attack on a few more monsters. His small army was making short work of the foes.

"That's insane. Can he control _anything?_ " Levy asked, flabbergasted.

"I'm not sure," Mavis replied, wondering about the answer as well.

-o-

As Strider's small army demolished everything in their way, Strider suddenly clenched a fist. The heads of the monsters that he controlled erupted and they fell, destroyed.

-o-

"That was… a bit over the top," Lucy said, shivering. This wasn't the Strider she was used to. There was no hint of warmth or kindness in his eerie eyes anymore; all she saw and felt was a sense of overwhelming power.

"Looks like he still has one left," Wendy said, her voice small.

-o-

As Strider turned he, saw a small black creature looking up at him. It had a single eyeball and seemed to crawl on two metallic arms.

"Well?" Strider hissed to it. As his voice carried over the speakers, a collective chill went through the crowd; it was cold and terrifying.

The creature suddenly shifted; it grew by an order of magnitude, suddenly towering over him. It had one single, large eye that looked at him quizzically while its large and lumbering arms and legs snapped in a threatening manner. It shot a hand at it, which Strider simply deflected.

Strider suddenly sheathed his sword; it had stopped quivering, bored by the ordeal. Slowly, he began raising both of his arms, directly in front of him. The S-Class monster stopped moving as its body began to rise as well. Clenching his fists, the metallic structure of the creature began to implode upon itself; sparks and gears began flying. Strider wrenched his hands apart and the creature was split in twain. As he let both halves fall to the floor, with a flick of his hand the gates of the castle blew open and he walked out, victorious and still unscathed - emanating a sense of dread that encompassed the arena.

-o-

"Crap…," Novali said, chalk white as Strider walk down, his features still electric blue.

"No kidding. _Super_ strong," Millianna said, hiding behind Erza.

"You think so?" Olga asked gruffly.

"Well done," Jura said with a small smile. Strider rolled his neck once more and his features were back to normal. He gave Jura a warm smile and winked at Erza, who simply nodded in return. From the side, they heard a massive cheer from Fairy Tail, ecstatic at the show of power and the triumphant victory. They were joined by the rest of the crowd, all of whom happily cheered Strider on - although he picked up more than a couple of questions about his powers.

-o-

"Come on, was it really _that_ impressive? Olga would've been those monsters in ten seconds flat!" Lector shouted.

"Lady Minvera?" Rufus inquired.

"It was impressive. Extremely impressive, even," she said, licking her lips sensually. Her eyes darted to her teammates who seemed halfway between agreeing and not acknowledging the feat. "You don't agree?"

"I, for one, _am_ impressed. Although, something is troubling me," Rufus said.

"And what would that be?" she wondered.

"I can't seem to copy his Magic. It's odd, as I've been able to do so for everyone else here," he said.

"Perhaps you need to be a bit closer?" Rogue suggested.

"Perhaps. Nonetheless, it shouldn't be this difficult," Rufus said.

-o-

"Jellal?" Ultear asked. She, Meredy, and Jellal were close by and keeping close tabs on the events.

"It was more than a little impressive. Those monsters would've given most Wizards trouble," he said.

"You could've beaten them," Meredy reminded him.

"Not without taking a few hits - and even then, it would've taken me longer. His Magic is…," Jellal trailed off, trying to think of a word.

"Powerful?" Ultear offered.

"Much more than that. Hardly anything was able to get close without his say so. He can keep virtually anything at the distance he wants. If that's the case, the advantage would always be in his favor," Jellal said.

"He'd have to be careful in using it, though, wouldn't he? It'd exhaust him pretty quickly," Meredy said. Jellal simply nodded, troubled by the question.

 _'How much Magic can he use?'_ he wondered.

-o-

"Congratulations," Laxus said, clapping Strider on the back as he rejoined them.

"That was magnificent, my love!" Juvia exclaimed, hugging his arm.

"Thanks," Strider said, giving her a quick hug.

"She's not kidding. Really good job," Mira said.

"Can't wait to see you in action again as well," Strider said.

"Mhm," she smirked.

-o-

"Kagura? What do you think?" Risley wondered.

"He's quite powerful. Exceptionally so - that much is certain. It makes the final match quite difficult, to be honest," she said. "That said, we'll give it all we have."

-o-

"I think Jura probably could've done it," Shelia said.

"I agree. Although, I'm not sure it would've been as graceful as him," Lyon acknowledged.

-o-

"Ok… well, thank was quite a spectacle! Fairy Tail Team B gets 10 points! Now, after some deliberation, we've found a suitable secondary event for the day. It might be a bit on the boring side, but we think it'll suffice!" Mato said, bringing out a spherical device. "This is the Magic Power Finder - or MPF for short! It measures your magic power. The highest score will determine the rankings!"

"Crap. I wonder if this is strictly a contest of power or if I could swing the odds my way?" Hibiki sighed

"This shouldn't be too difficult," Novali noted, cracking his fists.

"Jura?" Erza wondered.

"I'm certainly looking forward to it. To your score as well," he noted.

"Likewise," Erza said with a slightly sly smile.

"Meow! It's finally my turn!" Millianna exclaimed as she threw off her purple robe.

"The cape is off and the sexy is on! How will Millianna perform?" Chapati asked the crowd. Millianna quickly attacked the device, slashing across it. After a brief pause, it displayed a number - 365.

"Looks like Millianna scored a 365. But, because we don't have a baseline, we're not sure if that's a good score or not," Chapati said thoughtfully. The crowd seemed just as puzzled.

"Allow me. We Rune Knights use MPFs quite often. Millianna did quite well - that score would qualify her for Squad Captain," Lahar said.

"Yay! I'm one pumped up kitty!" Millianna exclaimed.

-o-

"That's great and all but raw power ain't really Millianna's strong suit," Beth said.

"She did pretty well, though," Risley said, cheering for her teammate.

-o-

"Clocking in at 124 is Novali of Quatro Puppy. A bit on the low side…," Chapati said as Novali struggled to accept the score.

-o-

"Am I the only one who thinks that Hibiki is out of his league?" Eve wondered as his teammate was up next.

"I should be the one out there," Ren said.

"What do you think, Jenny?" Eve wondered.

"Mmm?" she asked, seemingly in a trance.

"Looks like she's still thinking about Strider," Eve sighed.

"That's none of your business, Eve!" she said, bright said. She'd recovered from the fight with Mira the day before and accepted her upcoming nude photo shoot. Her thoughts, however, were geared towards Strider at the current moment.

 _'Guess I could give him a private show,'_ she thought with a smile.

"Have faith, men! Our friend won't let us down," Ichiya said dramatically. At that very moment, Hibiki scored a 95 and, unfortunately, let his teammates down.

"Man, not even three digits," they heard him complain.

"At least he tried," Eve said with an exasperated smile, cheering for his friend nonetheless.

-o-

"Next up - Obra, from Raven Tail!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

"He's the one!" Lily snarled.

"The guy who attacked Wendy and Carla!" Happy said angrily.

"The scoundrel," Carla shouted.

-o-

Strider saw something leap out from the blue figure, hitting the MPF.

-o-

"4?! That's it?!" Natsu cried.

"Anyone else buy that?" Lucy asked.

"Not a bit," Gray frowned.

-o-

"Sorry, but no do-overs," Mato said. Obra didn't acknowledge him as he fell back into the line.

-o-

"Damn it, Obra - what were you thinking?! Now we won't get any points!" Flare exclaimed.

"Quiet, Flare! Obra can't reveal his true powers," Alexi replied.

"Right. Sorry," Flare said nervously.

"Yeah, that's one guy you don't want to get worked up," Nallpudding said.

"Heh, ain't that the truth," Blacksnake agreed.

-o-

"Millianna is still in the lead with 365 points!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Meow! This is better than chasing my own tail," she said happily.

"I'm about to change all that," Olga said as he got in position.

-o-

"RIP THAT THING INTO PIECES AND SHOW THEM WHOSE BOSS!" Lector shouted.

"And do a silly dance while you're at it!" Frosche said adorably.

-o-

"120 Millimeter Black Lightning Cannon!" Olga roared as a streak of black lightning erupted from his hands. The attack engulfed and electrified the sphere. Novali and Hibiki were seemingly shocked as well at the display of power. As it settled down, the MPF showed the number: 3,825.

"NO WAY! HE'S TEN TIMES STRONGER THAN ME!" Millianna exclaimed comically.

-o-

"THAT'S CRAZY!" Lucy shouted. Gray and Natsu were impressed and surprised by his power as well.

-o-

Laxus and Gajeel grinned; both were hoping to go up against him. Juvia and Mira were surprised by the power of the attack as well; Strider stood nonchalantly, more interested in how Jura and Erza would score.

-o-

"Next up, Jura!" Chapati yelled. The crowd erupted, excited at seeing one of their favorites step up to the stage yet again.

-o-

"I hope Jura can beat that loudmouth," Shelia grumbled, waving at Jura.

"I'm sure he can. I'm just hoping he reins it in a bit," Lyon said smugly.

-o-

"Do you mind if I give it my all?" Jura asked.

"That's the game, isn't it?" Mato said rhetorically. Jura clapped his hands in front of him, seemingly beginning to pray. As he did so, he began to give off an intense magic energy.

"RUMBLING FUJI!" he roared. A bright light erupted like a volcano, encompassing the MPF and bathing everyone attending in a glow. As it subsided, the score read 8544.

-o-

"CRAP! HE SURE PACKS A PUNCH FOR AN OLD GUY!" Gray shouted, eyes bulging.

-o-

"What the…!" Olga said, nearly speechless. His score was handily beaten.

"And here I thought it'd be higher," Erza said, smiling.

-o-

"Excellent," Strider said, tapping his thigh. "I'm looking forward to fighting him again."

"Again? Why?" Juvia wondered.

"You never know if it's a fluke if you just win once. I think we'll have to give it a couple more shots. I'm sure Jura has a few more aces hidden away," Strider said.

-o-

"Outstanding! Ladies and gentlemen, this is a new MPF record! Jura has proven the title of Wizard Saint should never be taken lightly!" Chapati exclaimed as Jura bowed.

-o-

"I knew he was strong, but wowza. He may be on the same level as Gildarts," Makarov said, surprised, eliciting a giggle from Mavis.

"Maybe so, but remember we still have one to go. And more so than any other Wizard I can think of, Erza will most assuredly become one of the youngest Saints ever," Mavis said.

-o-

"And finally, we have Fairy Tail B's Erza Scarlet!" Chapati roared. "I dunno about you all, but I wouldn't want to follow Jura!"

-o-

"What do you think?" Carla asked Happy and Lily.

"ERZA'S GOT THIS! BEAT JURA!" Happy cheered her on.

"Erza's one of the strongest competitors here. I find it impossible for her to score below 2nd place, if I had to say," Lily said.

-o-

Erza had suddenly transformed into her Heaven's Wheel armor, smiling at the MPF. Suddenly, swords began appearing out of thin air. 10, 20, 30 - they contend to build quickly until they reached 150. The progress slowed down, but even more swords began to appear - these of different shapes and sizes.

-o-

"No way!" Mira said, surprised.

"What is it?" Strider asked.

"She's pulling swords from her other armors! I don't think I've ever seen her do this!" Mira said, paying attentive attention.

"Is it uncommon?" Strider wondered.

"Uncommon? Try impossible. It takes _a lot_ of magic power to pull off 150 swords - but it seems like she's trying to get 200. Using all these different kinds is taking even _more_ out of her," Mira said.

"Think she can pull it off?" Strider asked.

"If anyone can, it's Erza," Laxus mused.

"I already know what it's like to be on her bad side," Juvia sighed.

"No kidding," Gajeel said, just as impressed.

-o-

The crowd roared in delight as various elemental blades began appearing - some were sparking, others alight, others more seaworthy.

-o-

"This girls no joke," Risley said, stunning.

"Erza Scarlet…," Kagura said softly, eyes narrowed.

-o-

It was around ten minutes later when Erza finally made her move. Her breathing was heavier, but she felt a thrilling rush - she had broken several barriers that she didn't think she could.

 _'This should help the guild in the future,'_ she thought with a smile. Finally, she unleashed. Every competitor - including Jura - had to cover their faces as the swords collided with the MPF. The _clash_ and _clang_ and _rumble_ shook the crowd to their core and caused a small seismic event. As the bright light finally let down and people got their first look at the MPF, they stood shocked.

9,999 - and no trace left of the MPF. The constant barrage of attacks absolutely destroyed it.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! THE MPF IS NO MORE! ERZA SCARLET'S POWER IS OFF THE CHARTS!" Chapati roared excitedly. The crowd joined in a raucous round of applause, shaking the arena itself.

-o-

"Holy crap!" Natsu and Gray yelled excitedly while Wendy and Lucy jumped for joy.

-o-

"Thought so," Mira said with a smile.

"That was amazing," Strider said.

"No kidding. She's something else," Juvia said in awe. While the attack took a long time to charge, it had the intended effect.

-o-

"Wizard Saint indeed, First Master," Makarov said, proud of his child.

"That girl is something else," Cana said with a smile.

"YAY ERZA!" Lisanna cheered happily, hugging Happy tightly.

-o-

"Perhaps these Fairies _are_ something to worry about," Minerva noted, impressed with the display of power.

"What the fuck…," Sting bemoaned his teammates further drop to third place.

"I must admit, that was quite the showing. It wouldn't ever be useful in a fight, but in an event like this - it was an impressive trump card," Rufus mused.

-o-

"That was really something else," Arana said, extremely impressed.

"No kidding. Looks like we'll have to watch out for her as well," Beth said. She found herself clapping for her opponent.

-o-

"Good job, Erzy!" Millianna cried happily, pouncing on her oldest friend.

"Thank you, Millianna," Erza said, returning the hug.

-o-

"So? What do you think?" Ultear asked Jellal slyly. The bluenette sighed and shook his head but smiled.

 _'Well done, Erza,'_ he thought.

-o-

"You were AMAZING!" Lucy cried happily, hugging the de facto leader of the team.

"Thank you, Lucy," Erza said, returning the hug.

"HOLY CRAP ERZA THAT WAS AWESOME WE GOTTA FIGHT AGAIN!" Natsu said, jumbling his words together.

"After the Games," Erza said with a slight smile, hugging Wendy.

"He's not wrong - that was pretty awesome. You even kicked Jura's ass," Gray said with a large grin and thumbs up.

-o-

"Well, folks - that's going to be tough to top but we have to try! Welcome to our matches of the day. We have four singles matches ready for you! Let's welcome our first two competitors - Millianna of Mermaid Heel, who placed a respectable fourth in our event - and Semmes of Quatro Puppy!" Chapati introduced.

The battle was quick to begin. Semmes immediately began spinning, his towering form lumbering over Millianna. With her speed, however, she quickly and easily dodged his attacks.

"Try this!" she shouted, shooting some tubes at him. To her dismay, the attack simply bounced off. Her moment of hesitation allowed Semmes to get several quick and hard attacks in.

"Kitten Blast!" she yelled. Her attack had the opposite effect, however; instead of slowing him down, it sped him up.

-o-

"She might be in trouble," Lucy said nervously as Semmes collided with Millianna again.

"I wouldn't count her out just yet. Millianna is extremely strong. I've no doubt that she could take on anyone in Quatro Cerberus, except Bacchus," Erza said, smiling as she saw Millianna attack from midair.

-o-

Instead of trying to whip Semmes with her attack, she latched on to him - caught within Semmes's spin. He dragged her around half the arena before beginning to shift in the other direction. Now going counterclockwise, Semmes was heading backward and was about to collide with Millianna. She braced herself as they hit each other and sent up a massive dust cloud.

As it finally cleared, the crowd saw Semmes lying on the ground, tied up in ways no one should bend by Millianna, who sat upon him triumphantly.

"Folks, this round goes to Millianna!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"She's gotten much stronger since we last met," Erza said, proud of her friend's improvements.

"Don't have to remind me," Natsu grimaced, remembering being tied up by her.

-o-

"Next up, we have Eve Tearm of Blue Pegasus against Rufus Lore of Sabertooth!" Chapati said.

Eve started immediately by sending a blizzard toward Rufus, who simply smiled in the face of the attack. Memorizing it, Rufus easily dodged the attack.

"Crap. Forgot what his Magic can do," Eve said. He ran towards his opponent, hoping for a physical attack - but as he got to him, he blushed. Instead of nearly attacking Rufus, he saw Ichiya drinking wine, naked in a bubble bath.

"Wha-," Eve began before Rufus was behind him.

"You must be surprised. With my Magic, I can manipulate your memory as well," Rufus said, landing a blow on Eve. Charging his attack from the first event - A Night of Falling Stars - eve managed to narrowly escape by creating a snow clone. Eve sent another attack at Rufus, which managed to hit.

-o-

"Kids out of his league," Gray grumbled. He remembered his fight against Rufus - and was itching for a little payback.

-o-

"Memory Magic? Now that's interesting," Strider said, intrigued. He leaned forward a bit, carefully watching Rufus and his movements.

 _'That could be useful,'_ he thought.

-o-

Rufus quickly recovered, resolving to end the match with his next attack. He touched his temple with his fingers; and immediately, the ground around Eve started to catch fire. Several fire geysers erupted under the Snow Wizards feet, buffeting him around before he finally landed, bruised and unconscious.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the winner: Rufus Lore!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"That looked boring," Olga said as Rufus joined them.

"You've no idea. I had hoped to be paired against Fairy Tail," Rufus said.

"No kidding," Olga said, rolling his neck. His eyes drifted towards Laxus, who was up next.

-o-

Makarov had taken special precautions for the match. Bisca was primed to attack, her sniper rifle locked and loaded and pointed at Ivan if he tried anything. Meanwhile, Warren established a telepathic connection with the Thunder Legion and Lisanna, all of whom were determined to keep the match fair.

" _Any news, Bisca? Over,_ " Warren inquired.

" _None yet. Ivan hasn't done anything. Over,_ " Bisca said.

" _Lisanna? Thunder Legion?"_ Warren asked.

" _Lisanna and Thunder Legion here! Nothing to report, over!"_ she chirped back.

"Should those scoundrels dare attack Laxus, they will feel the wrath of the Thunder Legion," Freed said, surprisingly dangerous.

" _Hey Master, Ever's been bugging me about Elfman. Any chance we could excuse her, over_?" Bixlow asked, grinning as Evergreen ranted about his child antics.

-o-

"Everything seems good, Master," Warren said, giving Makarov a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Warren. Hmm… Ivan. I will not accept any attacks on my children," Makarov said dangerously, eliciting a giggle from Mavis. "What's so funny, First Master?"

"It just lifts my spirit tremendously to see that all the members of the guild care so much for each other," Mavis said with a smile halfway between sad and glad. "This… this is _exactly_ the kind of guild I had in mind. Thank you for everything you've done, Third Master. Oh! Sorry - Sixth Master!"

"Thank you, First Master," Makarov said, bowing low to Mavis. He was humbled by the praise she had given him. "But I'm actually the Seventh Master!

"No, you're the Sixth!" Macao exclaimed.

"Get it together, gramps," Wakaba said, exasperated.

-o-

"Excuse me, Lahar - do you by any chance have security on site?" Yajima asked, turning to the Rune Knight.

"Yes, sir - as per the rules," Lahar nodded.

"I want you to keep a close eye on Raven Tail for me. If you notice anything off, let me know and I'll have them stop the match," Yajima said seriously.

"Yes, sir," Lahar nodded. He was well aware of Raven Tails previous antics and planned to keep a close eye on the match.

-o-

"So Raven Tail was founded by Laxus's father - Makarovs son?" Strider asked.

"Yeah. Ivan. He and Master have been on bad terms for a long time," Mira said sadly. She had seen the elder around the guild but hadn't spoken to him at all. "I feel bad for Laxus. He was liked Master more, though."

"I see. That's tough," Strider sighed. His mind drifted to his own father; quickly, he jolted the memory away.

 _'Can you hear me?'_ Strider thought to Laxus.

' _Loud and clear. Seems unnecessary,'_ Laxus thought back.

 _'Better safe than sorry. Keep me posted. I won't help unless you say so,'_ Strider thought.

' _Works for me,'_ Laxus thought back.

-o-

"So you're from my old man's guild, huh?" Laxus asked as the match began. Suddenly, Alexi attacked. Fairy Tail was as stunned as anyone as they watched Alexi lay into Laxus.

-o-

"NO WAY!" Natsu yelled in shock. He'd never seen Laxus floored so easily. "DO SOMETHING, LAXUS!"

-o-

Laxus was unfazed as he stood encased by a purple aura. He could see his projection being beaten by Alexi, yet the man hadn't moved at all. It was obvious what was going on.

 _'It's an illusion,'_ he thought to Strider.

' _Shall I stop the match?'_ Strider asked.

 _'Na. I've been wanting to kick their asses for a while now,'_ Laxus thought back.

 _'I look forward to the outcome,'_ Strider thought back, smiling slightly.

"So what's going on?" Laxus finally spoke to Alexi, knowing perfectly well what the answer would be.

"The match the audience is watching is an illusion. An excellent one at that," Alexi responded.

"What's the point? I mean if you beat me with an illusion, are you really winning at all?" Laxus wondered.

"True. But winning the games is not our ultimate goal. However…," Alexi said. Laxus saw the tables turn. His projection got up and let out a might roar at Alexi, who was hit fully. The illusion of Laxus began to rip into Alexi relentlessly.

"As you can see, the outcome of this match will depend on how our negotiations fare," Alexi said; the illusion changed again and Alexi again started to beat Laxus.

"No need. I can beat you and when it's all over, everyone can see the outcome," Laxus said.

"Oh? Are you sure of that?" Alexi asked. Suddenly, he was surrounded. An illusion within the illusion faded and the entirety of Raven Tail was standing by his side. Laxus, however, didn't seem remotely surprised or impressed. Alexi soon removed the mask he wore.

"Not even you can take us all out at once," Ivan said, letting the mask fall. He looked at his son with a manic smile; Laxus, however, didn't seem at all surprised. "Surprised to see me?"

"Not really. Thought you'd try something like this," Laxus answered.

"We can save the pleasantries for another time. Where is it, Laxus?" Ivan asked.

"Where's what?" Laxus retorted.

"The Lumen Histoire!" Ivan shouted.

"Never heard of it," Laxus replied.

"Do not hide it from me, boy! So many years I've spent trying to find it, but couldn't. I will NOT be denied! If you don't tell me, I'll have to beat it out of you!" Ivan yelled, sending an attack that barely grazed Laxus.

"No idea," Laxus replied.

"The past seven years, I've built a guild that's suited to beating Fairy Tail. Each of my members is counter to yours. It's in your best interest - and the guilds - to tell me what I need to know," Ivan said.

"You don't think the old man's been keeping tabs on you? Operating funds, location, your guildmates - he knows everything," Laxus said with a smirk.

"That's impossible," Ivan said, taken aback.

"It must've been Gajeel!" Flare cried out. The Iron Dragon Slayer was in contact with them, operating - what they thought - as a spy for them.

"I knew we couldn't trust that iron chomping freak," Nullpudding sighed.

"Huh. Never pegged him as smart enough to double cross us, but I guess I was mistaken," Blacksnake mused, somewhat impressed.

"The little trolls been spying on us?" Ivan asked, still shocked.

"That's right," Laxus replied, sighing. _'He's not that bright.'_

"Does anyone else find this a little off?" Flare asked.

"If Makarov knew, why didn't he do anything?" Nullpudding asked.

"Because the old man has a knack for holding back when he shouldn't. Too nice for his own good. He didn't try anything because he loves you - because you're his son," Laxus said, a bit of ice in his tone.

"SILENCE!" Ivan roared as he attacked. Laxus hardly blocked it; the attack was seemingly pathetic. "Enough chit chat! Where is the Lumen Histoire, Laxus?! Tell me!"

The intensity of the attack increased, making Laxus recoil a slight bit. However, he continued to do nothing. As it stopped, Ivan smiled.

"Ah, so you were just testing my power? Good to know some things never change. Or is it because you can't bring yourself to strike your father? That's a good boy, my _sweet little Laxus_ ," Ivan said venomously.

"LAXUS!" a voice suddenly cried out. Turning his head, Laxus saw Makarov, his index finger pointed towards the sky as he stood on the balcony. Seeing that told Laxus everything he needed; he smiled at the gesture.

"Enough! Obra, it's time! Show this ingrate our true hatred for Fairy Tail!" Ivan ordered. Obra jutted his arms out but wasn't close to quick enough. Laxus was on him in a flash.

"Next time you decide to pick on a little girl, you better make sure I don't hear about it!" he yelled, smashing Obra with a thunderous punch and getting some revenge for Wendy and Carla.

"Needle Blast!" Nullpudding yelled. Laxus easily dodged the attacks.

"Gray sends his regards!" Laxus yelled, punching him into next week.

"Red Hair Scorch!" Flare yelled, her hair wrapping around Laxus. "Got you now, blondie!"

"Think so? Think again!" Laxus yelled, sending a devastating Thunder Dragon Roar at her. The intensity of the attack was enough to knock her out.

"Sand Fake!" Blacksnake hissed, appearing behind Laxus.

"Man, you are creepy. Get lose, loser," Laxus said, hardly even swatting him away before turning to Ivan. "Look, deadbeat - I don't know what your goal is and I don't care. There's only one thing you're getting for all your trouble: pain!"

"Laxus! You dare hurt me?! I'm your own flesh and blood!" Ivan cried hypocritically.

"Fairy Tail's my only family now. And whoever hurts them gets no mercy from me!" Laxus said viciously as he knocked Ivan into a wall, out cold.

-o-

The people gasped as the illusion disappeared, leaving only a soft purple haze behind.

"W-what is this?!" Chapati asked, shocked.

-o-

"All their members are down there!" Happy exclaimed.

"Ivan!" Makarov yelled, seeing his son.

Bisca, Lisanna, and the Thunder Legion saw the same happen to the respective members of the guild they were keeping an eye on.

"They were illusions!" Lily yelled.

-o-

"It appears the match we were watching was merely an illusion. This is a brazen violation of the rules," Yajima said, fuming.

"Wow! Ladies and gentlemen, not only did Laxus beat his opponent - but he beat the whole Raven Tail guild!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Crap! First Strider, then Erza, now this guy?! Fairy Tail's got some real monsters in their guild!"

-o-

As Strider watched the guards on the scene, he noticed something exit Obra - a small creature. It began to run away when it suddenly felt its body stop. No one seemed to pay attention to it - all were fixated on Ivan and the other members. Suddenly, the creature felt its body rocket back before stopping in front of Strider. It looked on, curious and afraid, as Strider analyzed it.

"And what are you?" Strider inquired of it. The creature didn't answer.

"Are you Obra?" Strider asked. It simply nodded. Strider nodded at the blue figure on the ground.

"Puppet," the creature answered in a gurgling voice.

"A puppet?" he asked. It nodded. "Then what are you?"

"Obra," it said.

"Whom do you serve?" Strider asked.

"Ivan," Obra answered.

"Do not lie to me, creature," Strider said dangerously. Obra shut its mouth quickly, trembling a bit.

"What is it?" Mira asked, intrigued.

"Something you don't want to mess with, I think," Strider said.

"What are you?" Mira asked it. Obra didn't answer, its eyes fitted on Strider.

"Are you afraid of me?" Stride asked as he touched it gently. The creature nodded imperceptibly.

"There's no need to fear me," Strider said before opening a pocket dimension and storing it inside.

"What happened?" Mira asked.

"Pocket dimension. It can't hurt anyone there. Best that I talk to Master Makarov and Master Mavis about it, though," Strider said.

"Good fight out there," Gajeel said with a grin as Laxus came back.

"Very good job," Strider said. Laxus nodded and smiled at the two.

"Wendy's up next," Mira said worriedly.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to our final competitors of the day. First off, we have Shelia Blendy from Lamia Scale!" Chapati yelled.

"Do you feel the love?!" Shelia asked happily, waving to the crowd!"

"And Fairy Tail A's Wendy Marvel!" Chapati continued.

"I finally get a turn!" Wendy said, ready to rumble.

"Go tear 'em up, kid," Natsu and Gray said, grinning.

"This just might be the cutest match of the games!" Chapati said, fawning over the girls.

As Shelia ran out, she quickly fell flat on her face.

"Oh my goodness! You're not hurt, are you?!" Wendy asked worriedly. As if on cue, she fell right on her face as well. The crowd laughed at their antics as the two girls finally got their feet, smiling sheepishly.

"Hi, I'm Wendy," Wendy said, rubbing her face.

"Hey, Wendy. Shelia. Nice to meet you. Good luck!" Shelia said.

"Yeah! You, too!" Wendy said.

As the battle began, Wendy quickly increased her offense and speed with her enchants, Arms and Vernier.

"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!" Wendy yelled, leaping into the offensive. Shelia easily defended against the attack before sending a black gust of wing toward Wendy, who blocked it in time. The slight move to defense was enough to give Shelia time to press her advantage.

"Sky God Dance!" she cried, twirling and sending an even more powerful black gust of wind at Wendy.

-o-

"No way…," Olga said, surprised.

-o-

"God Slayer Magic?" Mavis wondered, incredulously.

"In someone so young?" Makarov replied, shocked.

-o-

"She's like Zapcrow!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Pretty sure you got the name wrong, but close enough," Gray replied.

-o-

"So she's like Olga, then?" Strider wondered.

"Looks like it," Mira said, worried for Wendy.

"Wendy's no slouch," Strider said, noting her apprehension.

-o-

"Sky Dragon Roar!"

"Sky God Roar!"

The two attacks clashed, sending a shockwave through the arena. Shelia appeared to be unharmed while Wendy was trying to regain her footing.

"Lyon told me about you, Wendy! I was surprised to hear that someone in Fairy Tail had Magic similar to mine," Shelia said before her face dropped in worry. "Sorry if I hurt you."

"It's fine. It's a battle, after all," Wendy said, smiling weakly at Shelia.

"We should try to have a little fun then, I guess," Shelia added with a smile of her own.

"I don't really understand how people can find fighting so enjoyable. I don't like to fight, honestly. But I will for Fairy Tail," Wendy said, eliciting smiles from the crowd and her guild.

"I'll have to fight just as hard for love and Lamia Scale," Shelia said, nodding. She sent another Sky God Dance at Wendy, buffeting her back a bit. Wendy suddenly began to inhale the air around her. Shelia copied the movement.

"Sky Dragon Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy cried, using one of her Secret Arts against Shelia - surprising her and her teammates.

-o-

 _'My word. She's already mastered one of them?'_ Porlyusica thought to herself as she observed from the bleachers. She had taken a shine to Wendy as both were connected through Grandina. She was surprised to see that Wendy was already using the attack, considering it hadn't been that long that she was made aware of it.

-o-

Shelia slowly got up, bruised and cut all over. Shockingly, however, her wounds started to heal.

"That was really strong, Wendy. Looks like I should use my full power as well!"

 _'Darn. I used a lot of power in that attack,'_ Wendy thought, struggling to keep her balance. Suddenly, she recalled something fresh in her memory, but that happened nearly a decade ago.

-o-

 _"So am I correct in assuming that your Magic is mostly used for charms, enhancements, and attacks?" Strider asked Wendy as they were training. The S-Class Trials were upon them._

 _"Pretty… much," Wendy said, breathing heavily. She had tried to attack Strider, but he was able to deflect almost all of her attacks._

 _"I see. Wendy, would you be open to learning something new?" Strider asked._

 _"Hmm? Like what?" she asked._

 _"I think your Magic could be much more effect if you could use it like mine - as well as if you simply let it flow a bit more," Strider said._

 _"What do you mean?" she asked, confused._

 _"How to explain…? Let's see. You use Sky Dragon Magic, correct? If there's a companion Magic to that, I think Wind Magic would be it, right?" Strider asked._

 _"Right," Wendy nodded._

 _"And Wind Magic - while not exactly like it - has some attributes of Telekinesis. Sure, you're not using your mind to control objects, but controlling the Wind around them to control them - that's not entirely impossible," Strider said._

 _"OK… I think… I get what you're saying," Wendy said, not really understanding._

 _"Basically - think of Sky Dragon Magic as a conduit for casting Wind Magic as well. If you can control the wind - not even to a great extent for now - you can expand your horizons quite a bit. Let's see… ah! Here we go," Strider said, picking up a ball sized rock._

 _"What do you want me to do with it?" Wendy asked._

 _"I want you to use your Sky Dragon Magic to create a small and gentle gust of wind - only enough to keep this rock afloat for… let's say ten minutes," Strider said._

 _"10 minutes?!" Wendy asked, shocked. She usually expended her Magic quickly; her attacks lasted seconds, not minutes - save for her healing._

 _"You're not attacking it - you're just keeping it floating. Ten minutes," Strider said, tossing the rock at her._

-o-

"Are you mad?!" Lyon yelled at Shelia.

"Don't do it!" Jura yelled as well.

"You dimwit! Are you trying to kill the pool girl!" Ooba screamed.

-o-

Wendy imperceptibly began affecting the arena.

"God Slayer Secret Art: Heavenly Gathering of Clouds!" Shelia yelled. A black jet stream roared out from her at Wendy, looping several times before it reached her. Wendy hardly put her arms up, smiling to herself as the attack missed.

"No way," Shelia said, surprised.

-o-

"How'd she miss?!" Happy asked, shocked.

"Ah…," Carla suddenly said, a look of dawning upon her as she felt a light wind wash over her.

"What is it?" Lily asked.

"A lesson she learned before the S-Class Trials," Carla said, smiling.

-o-

 _'Excellent work, Wendy,'_ Strider thought proudly.

-o-

Wendy and Shelia leaped at each other, punching and kicking - neither giving up, neither standing down. With each strike, they put everything on the line - doing whatever they could to cinch a win for their guilds. Lamia Scale and Fairy Tail looked on with proud smiles as they felt the energy of the two girls cascade.

-o-

' _Jellal? Is it Shelia?'_ Ultear asked. They had felt a strong dark presence during the Games, one that felt more pronounced during this match in particular. They thought it was Shelia for a short moment - but it became obvious to Jellal it wasn't.

 _'No, I don't think so. She's not the presence we felt,'_ Jellal replied telepathically, looking around.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, this match ends in a draw!" Chapati yelled. Shelia and Wendy had given the match their all; both were breathing heavily, unable to continue to match any further. The crowd was roaring in excitement for the two young girls. Shelia approached Wendy and began to heal her. Wendy sighed, relaxing as the feeling washed over her.

"You did really well, Wendy!" Shelia exclaimed.

"Yeah - you too! I had a lot more fun than I thought I would," Wendy said with a smile. They each shook the others hand, earning another round of applause.

-o-

"Those girls are something else," Lyon said with a smile.

"Indeed they are. I've no doubt they'll continue to grow as excellent Wizards," Jura said.

-o-

"Way to go, Wendy!" Natsu and Gray cheered excitedly as she rejoined them.

"That was amazing, Wendy," Lucy said, giving her a hug.

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings an end to Day 3 of the Grand Magic Games! We look forward to seeing you again tomorrow!" Chapati announced.

-o-

As Fairy Tail returned to their hotel, they were celebrating the victories of the guild for the day. Strider, Erza, Laxus, and Wendy had each put on a spectacular show.

"You did extremely well, Wendy," Strider said, ruffling her hair.

"Thanks for the lesson you gave me," Wendy said, giving him a hug.

"Not at all. Plenty more where that came from if you want to learn a bit more," Strider said kindly.

-o-

"Great job," Cana said to Erza, joining her at the bar.

"Thank you. I had fun," Erza said, digging into her strawberry cake.

"I could tell. Those many swords… jeez, I'm surprised you didn't pass out by the end of it," Cana admitted.

"No more surprised than I was," Erza said. "It'll come in useful in the future. I need to work on cutting down the time it takes, though."

"Yeah, yeah - just don't push yourself too much," Cana said firmly. As strong as Erza was, she wasn't invincible.

-o-

"Two days left before the final event and I haven't even gotten to kick someone's ass," Natsu groaned.

"It's some bullshit," Gajeel complained as well. Lisanna and Levy sighed; the only thing the Dragon Slayers could seem to agree on was the fact that fighting was preferable to not doing so.

-o-

"Master Mavis, Master Makarov - a moment?" Strider asked. They followed him upstairs, curious about what he wanted.

"What is it, Strider?" Mavis asked as he locked the door behind them.

"After Laxus's fight with Raven Tail, they arrested the members," Strider said, cutting to the point.

"That's right," Makarov nodded.

"The blue one - Obra. This was inside him," Strider said, reaching into his pocket dimension and showing them the creature.

"What is it?" Makarov asked, intrigued.

"I'm not certain myself. It appears to be a spriggan or something similar," Strider said.

"A spriggan?" Mavis asked, surprised.

"Small spirits. I've come across them at barrows," Strider said. "It tried to escape but I was able to catch it. I'm thinking of trying to interrogate it. I just wanted to inform you."

"Thank you, my child. But what do you expect to learn?" Makarov asked.

"That I'm not sure," Strider sighed.

"How do you plan on trying to extract information from it?" Mavis asked. Strider paused before answering.

"There are ways to extract information - none of them pleasant. I'll try to make sure that I won't leave a lasting impact on it. I'm not sure if this creature is good or evil by nature - although when it comes to spriggans, they tend towards the latter. I'll likely try my Tamer Magic," Strider sighed.

"If that doesn't work, do you plan on torturing it?" Mavis asked uneasily. Again, Strider paused.

"No," he finally replied. "But it will take prying. Nothing physical, though."

"It's your call, First Master," Makarov deferred. Mavis thought about the best way to approach the situation.

"Do it no harm, Strider. Be as gentle as you can. If you _have_ to be more hands on, I'd prefer you hand it over to the authorities," Mavis said.

"As you wish, First Master," Strider said, putting Obra back in the pocket dimension. With a short bow, he left.

-o-

"Feeling better?" Strider asked Erza as she came up the stairs.

"I am, albeit tired. What were you talking to Master about?" she wondered as she followed him to his room.

"I captured the creature that attacked Wendy and Carla. I plan on interrogating it," he said.

"What do you mean _'interrogate it'_?" she wondered.

"I want to see if I can learn anything from it," he said.

"Does it seem talkative?" she wondered.

"Ha. I wish. That'd make it easier. No, unfortunately, it isn't. That said, there are ways to get information," he sighed.

"Torture?" she asked quietly, remembering her own experience.

"No. Of course not," he said, his voice a bit cooler.

"Strider…," she trailed off, sitting next to him.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"Were you ever…?" she trailed off again. Strider sighed and nodded.

"Your scars," Erza whispered.

"Some, yes," he said.

"If you don't mind me asking - what happened?" she asked.

"I was imprisoned for a while at one of the enemy strongholds, which belonged to an excessively vicious brute. He tortured me on a daily basis. Entertainment and sadism, mostly. Whips, swords, rams, irons, brands. A bit of a cultist," Strider sighed.

Erza bit her lip, unsure of what to say. Gently, she put her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder. She noticed him clenching his fist tight, as if under duress. She took his hand in hers, gently caressing it.

Gently, she slipped a hand under his shirt. Keeping her head on his shoulder, she began feeling around. She could feel the jagged scarring and marks and burns - more than she had anticipated. She sighed heavily - while he didn't lose something like an eye, she wondered if this was worse?

Strider didn't move as he let her continue. Her hand was warm and gentle to the touch, strikingly different from his roughness. He felt her trace the lines and edges, losing track here and there only to find a few more.

Slowly, Erza slipped her other hand under as well, feeling his stomach and chest. She traced three large scars - ones that she remembered Mira mentioning. Slowly, she explored every inch she could. Giving him an intense look, she began to lift up his shirt. She blanched as she saw the condition he was in.

A large portion of his body had been ravaged over the years. She saw scars, rips, and tears all across - mingling with discolored burns and gruesome brands in the shape of odd runes. Most vivid was the black mark on his right shoulder - which, horrifyingly, seemed to have grown larger since she last saw it. She gently touched it, noting that he recoiled ever so slightly.

"How did you survive this?" she asked, astonished.

"A story for another day, I think," Strider said.

"I'm sorry," she said gently lowering his shirt.

"There's no need," Strider said gently. He felt Erza take his face in her hands. She gently caressed his cheek, wondering what other stories he had to tell. Slowly, she leaned down and kissed him. Strider was as surprised as he was when Mira kissed him, but he took the kiss in stride. Be brought her in closer, sitting her on his lap as he took in the soft touch and warmth of her lips and tongue.

"Mmm," Erza moaned in pleasure. She quickly had Strider on his back, her hands going up his shirt yet again. She felt his hands descend her back before finally giving her ass a tight squeeze. Strider soon flipped Erza on her back, kissing her down her neck. Erza moaned in pleasure as she weaved a hand through his hair, keeping his head in place as he began to suck at the base of her neck. She felt a free hand slip suddenly slip under her shirt, making its way up. As his hand reached her breast, though, Erza suddenly paused.

"Strider, wait. Please stop," she whispered. Strider immediately did so, retracting his hand from her shirt. He gently lifted himself off of her, sighing.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"I just…," she said, licking her lips as she slowly got up. "What about you and Mira?"

Strider sighed as he sat beside, the question running through his mind as well.

"I don't know," he said quietly. "I care about you as well, Erza. A lot, at that."

"As do I. But…," she said, sighing again before reacting his sentiment. "I don't know."

"How about we call it a night for now?" he offered.

"Right. Umm… good night," she said, quickly going to her room.

-o-

As soon as she exited, Erza felt the blood rush to her face like never before. She rested against Strider's door, her face redder and hotter than ever before.

"OH MY GOSH!" she squealed before running to her bedroom.

-o-

Strider chuckled a bit as he heard her. Heading to the mirror, he took his shirt off and observed the damage. It had become by the by for him - a part of his daily life to the point that he hardly considered it anymore. He remembered the encounter that gave him the three gashes across his chest, as well as the clash that gave him the accursed mark. Looking at the smaller scars, however, he recalled the days in which he suffered them.

-o-

 _Strider knelt in a dark room. His arms and legs were bound by chains as blood trickled down his body. His hair fell raggedly to his shoulders as his breathing was laborious. He was barely conscious as he listened to the cold world around him._

 _"Wake him up," came a sweet voice. A splash of cold water hit Strider across the face, jolting him awake._

 _"You again," Strider said._

 _"Me again, Man of the West. You appear to be well. Or as well as you can be," the woman said. Striders eyes darted between her and the armored orc that flanked her. With a disgusted snarl, he turned his eyes to the woman again._

 _"Your hospitality is limitless," Strider said._

 _"You would enjoy much more of it if you told me what I needed to know," she said, caressing his cheek._

 _"Not even over my cold, dead body," Strider said._

 _"Yes, I know. Normally, I wouldn't mind this trend or acquiesce you such a demand. But time is of the essence now. I have a special guest, just for you," the woman said. The door opened yet again and in walked one of the largest men Strider had ever seen. The man had grotesque and ghoulish features, his skin a pallid gray. His skin seemed to be creeping over his painfully tight armor, while his face was contorted into a snarl by an open-mouthed metal muzzle._

 _"This is the boy? You couldn't break this Ranger?" the new arrival asked in a brutish voice._

 _"Silence, brute. This is the Tower. He will be in charge of your… interrogation," the woman said with a smile. Strider simply scoffed._

 _"A Black Captain?" he asked. Pooling up the blood in his mouth, Strider spat it at the Tower. "Go on then. Try not to hurt yourself, old man. Your armor looks a bit tight. I don't want you passing out before I do."_

 _"I wouldn't be so arrogant. He specializes in breaking men," the woman said. Tower suddenly smashed Strider in the face with a powerful fist, knocking some more blood out. Strider took the blow and laughed in return._

 _"Ha! Is that it?" Strider asked, egging him on. "I implore you - do your worst! Go on! We'll see who breaks first!"_

 _"Audacious as ever," the woman sighed before taking his leave. "Enjoy your stay, Dúnedain."_

 _"I intend to," Strider said, getting in the last word before scoffing at the Tower yet again. Sending the Orc out, Tower began his interrogation._

-o-

"Str-," Bisca said as she entered, stopping starkly as she saw him without his shirt. This was the first look she had gotten a look at the scars that covered his body.

"Oh, Bisca. Forgive me," Strider said, hastily putting his shirt back on. Bisca crossed the distance between them quickly, stopping him midway. Wide-eyed, she ran her hands over his chest and stomach, feeling the ridges.

"This is…," she began softly.

"Yeah," he sighed, finally pulling his shirt down. "What can I do for you?"

"Oh! I… was wondering if you plan to stick around for long after the Games finish?" she asked, blushing slightly.

"I do. I believe Master Makarov mentioned something about another event after the Games end. I'm thinking of looking for some jobs around the area as well," Strider said.

"Got it. Well, I was wondering if you want to go out or something after the Final Event?" she asked.

"I would love that," Strider said.

"Really?" she asked, surprised he acquiesced so readily.

"Anything for you," he said, brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear. She smiled at the gesture and gave him a hug. Strider felt her linger for longer than usual, gently rubbing his back. She sighed heavily; the condition was just as bad.

"Are you ok?" she asked, leaning back and cupping his cheek.

"As ok as I can be. A bit tired, however. I think I'll call it a night," Strider said.

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow," Bisca said. She was about to leave when Strider stopped her. He quickly swooped in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Smiling, Bisca returned the gesture before taking her leave, happy.

-o-

"Erza? What is it?" Mira asked as she entered the room with Cana. She went in to check on how her best friend was doing after exerting so much magical power. Mira was more than a bit surprised to see Erza staring intently into the space ahead of her, still red.

"M-M-MIRA!" Erza said in an unusually high voice. "What're you doing here?!"

"I just wanted to see if you were alright. Are you… alright?" Mira asked, taking her temperature. "Oh no! You're burning up! Should I get Wendy!?"

"No, no! I'm p-perfectly fine!" Erza said, managing a strained grin. "See. Perfectly fine!"

"She's been watching way too much TV if she thinks that's gonna work. Come on, Erza - out with it!" Cana demanded.

"I've no idea what you're talking about!" Erza retorted.

"You're not really the best actress, Erza," Mira sighed. "Tell us. Now."

"It really is nothing!" she reiterated.

"Buying that?" Cana asked.

"Not even a little bit. Erza…," Mira said threateningly.

"Ugh…," Erza sighed, looking a bit uncomfortable. She began to tell them about the scars she had seen. She was about to tell them about the kiss and how it almost became something more but decided against it for the moment. Mira and Cana looked uncomfortable as they found out.

"That bad?" Cana asked quietly.

"More than that," Erza sighed.

"Is he still awake?" Mira asked.

"I'm not sure. I'd rather we not disturb him right now, though. Wait for the morning or later," Erza said.

"Right. Ugh…," Mira said, rubbing her temples.

"No kidding. Maybe… Maybe Wendy and Shelia can try something?" Cana suggested.

"He's probably tried every remedy he could," Mira said.

"Sure, but he doesn't have Magic like that back home. What's the worst that can happen? It doesn't work. It's worth a shot," Cana said. Mira and Erza looked at each other thoughtfully.

"We'll ask them after the Games end," Mira said.


	21. Grand Magic Games: Day 4 - Twin Dragons

"Hey, Strider! Time to wake up!" Wendy shouted, pounding on his door.

"Ugh - yeah, Wendy. I'll be down soon," Strider said groggily, falling out of his bed. He kept the door locked as he slowly got up, a sharp pain in his shoulder. As he heard her footsteps fall away, he let out the agonized sigh he had been holding in.

 _'Maybe I should've left when I had the chance. Permanent. Just like Lord Elrond said. God damn it!'_ Strider thought. It took all his strength to keep himself from cutting his arm off; some days, the pain would reach the point where he felt his energy had left him. Biting his tongue so hard that he drew blood, he punched the black spot in anger - regretting the action soon after.

-o-

"Feeling alright?" Wendy asked as he came down.

"Well, actually. Looks like we might have the Games in the bag," Strider said, ruffling her hair before joining Cana at the bar. She smiled as he approached, digging a finger into her palm to try and edge out the feeling of bringing up his scars.

"Ready for today?" she asked quietly.

"I am. Just today and tomorrow before the Final Event, right? Should be a hell of a time," Strider said.

"Eager to compete again?" she asked.

"Maybe a little," Strider said, motioning with his fingers.

"Give the others a chance to have some fun," Cana giggled.

"Strider!" Asuka chirped, running at him. Strider laughed as the little girl attempted to climb his pant leg. As she started to pout, Strider picked her up.

"Hello, Asuka," Strider said, tickling her. She laughed happily before getting atop the bar.

"Woops. Not yet, cutie," Cana giggled as she quickly removed the alcohol. Asuka simply shrugged, running along the bar.

"Fan of children?" Strider asked.

"She reminds me of me a bit. I wasn't as outgoing, but definitely just as cute," Cana laughed.

"I don't think I can imagine you not as outgoing," Strider said thoughtfully.

"Oh no? You'd be surprised," Cana sighed. "When I got to Fairy Tail, all I knew was that my dad was a Wizard there. I didn't really talk or hang out with anyone."

"What changed?" Strider asked.

"Mmm… dunno. It was gradual, I guess. When I decided I wanted to get stronger before talking to Gildarts, I started to drink. I suppose that loosened me up a bit more," Cana said.

"How do you feel about being separated from him again?" he wondered.

"He has his life, I guess. Can't really ask him to change that, especially now that I'm all grown up. I think he might come back a bit sooner this time, though," Cana shrugged.

"I'm sure he's proud of you," Strider said.

"I hope so," she sighed.

-o-

"Morning, Erza," Strider said, joining her outside. The others were preparing to head out.

"S-Strider! Good morning!" she exclaimed, turning red.

"Are you alright?" he asked with a light smile.

"Ugh. You're teasing me," she grumbled.

"Guilty. Really, though - are you alright?" he asked again, more serious.

"I… yes. More than alright, I think," Erza said. "Although…"

"I understand," Strider sighed. _'Erza. Mira. Jenny. This could go one of several ways.'_

"You do?" she asked. Before he could answer, they were joined by the others. Erza decided to hold off on the conversation for the moment.

-o-

"So what's the Final Event, again?" Gajeel asked.

"It's a free for all between the participating teams," Mira said.

"Perfect. Can't wait to crush Salamander," Gajeel said with a grin.

"Leave some fun for us," Laxus said, smirking at Strider.

"Don't worry - I intend to. No one man is an army, after all," Strider said lightly.

"Coming from the guy who took on a hundred monsters," Mira teased.

"The point still stands," Strider said modestly.

"No more modesty for you, I'm afraid," Mira giggled.

"Enough, Mirajane!" Juvia suddenly exclaimed.

"What is it, Juvia?" Mira asked, surprised.

"You're getting far too cozy with Strider! It's my turn now!" Juvia said, grabbing his arm and leading him a bit further along.

"You might wanna make your move soon, Mira," Laxus smirked.

"What was that, Laxus?" Mira asked, her sweet voice laced with poison.

"Nothing," the blond chuckled.

"Thought so," Mira said.

-o-

"Best of luck in today's event, Juvia. This seems right up your alley," Strider said encouragingly. Chapati had just announced the event of the day: Naval Battle. The rules were simple enough; each team would send in a competitor and they would fight in a water dome. When the contestant was pushed out of the dome, they would be award a commensurate place; the final competitor still inside would receive ten points.

"Indeed, my love. Root for me!" Juvia exclaimed, giving Strider a quick hug before scurrying off.

"Adorable," Mira sighed.

"She's certainly got this," Strider said, clapping. Shelia, Jenny, Risley, Minerva, Lucy, and Rocker made their way down as well. "And one guy in the middle of it all. Now that I think about it, this event is much more suited for someone with telekinesis."

"Oh yeah? I wonder why," Mira joked, punching him lightly. Unfortunately, she hit the black spot; it took all Strider had to not react.

-o-

"I am SO sorry for this!" Lucy lamented as she quickly pulled out Aquarius's key. Juvia, knowing full well what Lucy would do - attacked her quickly, startling everyone. No one thought she'd go after her own teammate. Jenny, meanwhile, quickly knocked Rocker out.

"Sorry! No boys ALLOWED!" she said as foot connected hard with his face.

"Wild," Rocker said weakly.

-o-

"Way to go, Jenny! Let's go, Juvia!" Come on, Lucy!" Mira said in a moderately loud voice.

"Your cheerleading skills need some work," Gajeel mumbled.

"Sorry, Gajeel. I didn't hear you. What was that?" she asked in the same sweet and poisonous tone.

"You weren't kidding," Gajeel whispered to Laxus.

"Told you. You really don't want to be on her bad side," Laxus said, covering up his indiscretion with a cough.

-o-

Meanwhile, Juvia was going toe to toe with Aquarius.

"Looks like you've gotten a bit stronger!" Aquarius grinned as she locked hands with Juvia in a test of strength.

"My beloved has faith in me, so of course I'm going to have to give it my all!" Juvia replied.

"Oh, the new guy? You two are _totally_ made for each other," Aquarius praised her.

"You think so?" Juvia asked excitedly.

"Mhm. He's hot. Can definitely do better than the blonde bimbo," Aquarius said snidely.

"Hey! You're supposed to be _my_ partner!" Lucy whined.

"Ooh! Crap! I'm late for my date. See you, Juvia!" Aquarius suddenly said, leaving as quickly as she arrived.

"AQUARIUS, NO!" Lucy whined louder, ditched again by her most spirited spirit. Juvia gave her no time to recompose herself. Before she could force Lucy out, however, Virgo and Ares appeared to help their Master.

-o-

"The crowd seems to be enjoying this match," Levy lamented.

"Can you blame us?" Macao cheered for the beautiful mages that were still going toe to toe. Besides Rocker, everyone was still in the matchup.

-o-

Lucy managed to evade the attacks for the most part. Suddenly, however, Juvia went into overdrive. A massive surge of energy began to flow from her. Her attack managed to pick up increased intensity and power. Most of the contestants were caught unawares; Lucy was protected by her spirits while Minerva managed to repel the attack with moderate difficulty.

-o-

"Minerva's no joke," Strider observed in interest.

"You sure you mean her and not how she looks?" Mira asked with a smirk.

"Oh? I hadn't noticed," Strider shrugged.

"You have a terrible poker face," Mira sighed.

"So I've been told. That said, she's powerful," Strider said.

-o-

Shelia, Risley, and Jenny weren't as lucky. They were quickly knocked out of the sphere.

"Aww, man!" Shelia lamented as she fell on her face.

"Don't worry! You did your best out there!" she heard Wendy cry out to her. She waved at her friend before making a graceful exit.

"So quick…," Jenny lamented.

"You did well!" she heard Mira chirp.

"Thanks, Mira. Enjoy the match, Strider?" she cooed seductively, earning a slight cheer and boo from the crowd. He simply winked in response. Jenny blew him a kiss before sashaying away, exciting the crowd even further.

"Did you see that, my beloved!" Juvia asked dreamily as she looked at Strider. Strider opened his mouth to reply before simply smiling weakly.

"Huh? That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for…," she said, noting the pained smile. Suddenly, she realized why he was looking at her like that. Her attack was so powerful, it forced her out as well.

-o-

"You've gotta be kidding me," Gajeel facepalmed.

"Looks like Juvias love was a little too strong," Mira said happily.

"You don't seem to upset by it," Laxus said.

"We're still ahead," Mira shrugged.

"I'm sorry, guys. Sorry, Strider…," she said, downcast.

"You did very well, Juvia. Top three isn't anything to scoff at. Not to mention - regardless of who wins - I doubt either will pull off such a dramatic attack. Congratulations are in order, I think," he said, giving her a hug. Juvia began giggling as he hugged her and returned it tightly. Even as he let go, Juvia held on, nuzzling him here and there.

-o-

With Minerva and Lucy the only ones left, the five-minute countdown timer had started.

"I suppose I could simply push you out right now. But then, where's the fun in that?" Minerva wondered. "Let's see how long you last."

Suddenly, Lucy was buffeted from side to side by Minerva's attack. The attacks went deep, bruising Lucy but taking her out. Lucy attempted to summon her spirits, but to her shock, they weren't there. As she looked at Minerva, she saw that she was holding _her_ keys.

"I can take it," Lucy said through gritted teeth.

"Oh really? You're sure you don't want out of this torment?" Minerva asked deviously.

-o-

"Hmm…," Strider hummed.

"What is it?" Mira asked.

"They might have to stop the watch," he said.

"What do you mean?" Mira asked.

"I don't think Minerva's interested in beating Lucy; I think she intends to break her," Strider said.

"How… can you tell?" Juvia asked, still hugging him.

"I know that look," was all he said.

-o-

"I see. It appears you still haven't learned your place, have you? Perhaps this will teach you who you're dealing with!" Minerva shouted, increasing the ferocity of her attack. At last, she began to draw blood. The red mixed with the aqua blue of the water, giving it a sinister hue. "We are Sabertooth! The mightiest guild in Fiore! You will SUBMIT!"

-o-

Fairy Tail looked on in horror as the fight continued. Lucy was being brutalized. As her clothes began to shred further, more and more blood emanated. Each time Lucy approached the edge of the dome, Minerva reeled her back in like a fish.

-o-

"This is just sick!" Cana snarled.

"All she's doing is torturing her," Gajeel added.

-o-

"DAMN IT! WILL SOMEONE STOP THE MATCH!?" Natsu roared. His teeth clenched as he looked over at Sabertooth; Sting, Olga, and Rufus were all smiling.

"They're gonna pay for this," Gray snarled as he, Erza, and Natsu stared down the other team.

-o-

"Stop the match now! We can't lose the Celestial Wizard! Call it off before it's too late!" Arcadios yelled.

-o-

As the match ground to a halt, both Fairy Tail A & B rushed to the field to make sure Lucy was ok. Sabertooth leaped out as, just in case they tried to attack Minerva. Natsu and Sting, however, ripped towards each other. Before either could land a blow, though, they found their bodies completely immobilized.

"What's this, folks!? Natsu and Sting can't move a muscle!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Enough," Strider said, his voice carrying over the arena.

"Hey! What's the big idea?!" Sting snarled at him.

"Release him!" Rogue yelled, jumping at Strider. His body was soon immobilized as well.

"I'll release you three once I'm sure you won't attack," Strider said in a surprisingly cold voice.

"Are you insane?! Look at what she did to Lucy!" Natsu yelled.

"I know. But we'll settle this in the arena, Natsu. It's not what you want to hear, and it's not what I want to say - but that's the way it's going to happen. Does anyone have a problem with that?" he asked, his eyes washing over both Fairy teams as well as Sabertooth. No one challenged his authority. "Good. Now settle down."

Sting and Natsu regarded each other angrily before Sting rejoined his guild. They all faced Strider, shooting him looks of anger. Suddenly, Striders eyes and mouth erupted blue as he looked at them. All three teams looked shocked by the change.

"Do you have a complaint? Because if you really, truly wish to settle this now - that can be arranged. I'm sure the crowd wouldn't mind," he said, his voice carrying on the wind like a biting blizzard.

"We'll leave it for the Games," Minerva said.

"Of course you will," he retorted before going back to normal. "Leave. Now."

-o-

Wendy and Shelia were soon hard at work healing Lucy. Medical staff were quickly in the arena, carrying Lucy to the infirmary with both teams in tow. As they entered a hallway, Strider braced himself for what was about to happen. A punch connected with him in full force. He stood his ground, letting Natsu get his anger out.

"NATSU!" Mira and Erza yelled in shock.

"Let it all out," Strider said calmly. Natsu did so, hitting him repeatedly with solid punches and kicks - all of which connected, but most of which seemed to do little damage. A few hit the black spot that Natsu didn't know about, but Strider simply bit his tongue. It went on for a minute while everyone looked on, powerless to stop it. They could see tears forming in Natsus eyes as he landed each hit, obviously sad for Lucy. Finally, as he stopped, Strider put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I know you're angry. With Minerva; with Sabertooth; with me. But you need to think about everyone. What it took to get this far and how we're so close to the end. I did what I had to do, Natsu - not what I wanted to do. You don't like it and neither do I. But it had to be done. You'll get your chance to cut loose on them soon enough," Strider said gently. Without another award, Natsu simply headed towards the infirmary; the others followed close behind, leaving Mira with Strider.

"You let him hit you," she said.

"I did," Strider said.

"Why?" she asked.

"He needed to get it all out so he can think clearly before the matches begin. He needs to be in top form," Strider said.

"Are _you_ thinking clearly?" Mira asked.

"What do you mean?" Strider asked.

"Aren't you just as angry as Natsu?" Mira asked.

"I'm furious," Strider said.

"You don't show it," Mira said.

"Restraint over the years," Strider said, smiling at Mira. She sighed, gently touching the spot where Natsu hit him.

"Not even a bruise," she said softly.

"I don't bruise easy," Strider shrugged.

"If you fight them, will you…" she trailed off, not sure how to ask it. Strider didn't reply, worrying her a bit. "Just… don't do anything you'll regret."

"It's far too late for that, I'm afraid," he said somberly as he caressed her cheek gently. He took his leave well to check on Lucy, still biting his tongue.

-o-

"She'll be okay, thanks to the girls," Porlyusica said as they gathered around Lucy's bed. She was out cold, only her breathing evident.

"They're gonna pay," Natsu snarled.

"You can sure as hell bet on that," Laxus agreed.

"Another bit of bad news," Makarov suddenly said as he entered. He sighed as he saw Lucy's prone form, his anger untenable.

"What is it, Master?" Erza asked.

"Because Raven Tail was disqualified, we have an odd number of teams. That won't work for the battle rounds, so they want us to combine Fairy Tail A & B," Makarov said.

"What?! What about the score?!" Gray asked.

"We can only keep the lowest score, unfortunately," Makarov sighed.

"How is that fair?" Cana demanded.

"We have no choice in the matter, it seems. We'll have to abide by their rules," Erza said.

"Let's let Lucy get some rest. We need to decide the new team up," Makarov said. As they began to leave, Natsu held Strider back.

"Strider…," he began uncertainly. "I'm…"

"I understand," Strider said, resting his hand on his shoulder. "Come on. It's time to bring the hammer down on them, I think."

-o-

"Day Fours battle round is about to begin, folks. But before that, let's find out who made the cut for Team Fairy Tail! You've quite a history with them, right Mr. Yajima? Any predictions on the final cut?" Chapati asked.

"No comment," Yajima replied with a devious smile.

"Continuing, folks - we have some special battles for you today! Instead of a boring old one on one, we thought we'd spice things up a bit! today, each team will choose _two_ contestants to fight - and they'll participate in a tag battle! The first round will be Blue Pegasus against Quatro Puppy; and then Mermaid Heel against Lamia Scale; and finally, Sabertooth vs. Fairy Tail in what could very well be the highlight of the day! Now, without further ado, let's see who Fairy Tail has picked to be on their team!" Chapati yelled to a thunderous crowd.

The door slowly opened, revealing the team. They began to walk out one by one - Natsu, Gray, Erza, Gajeel, and Strider.

-o-

"Master really did put together an amazing team," Mira said with a smile.

"Think Laxus is alright with sitting on the side, though?" Cana wondered.

"He doesn't mind. I have a feeling I know who Sabertooth is sending out, so Natsu and Gajeel will want to be a part of it. Gray wants to be in if Natsu is, and Erza is on the same team as them. Besides, if any of them decide to tag out, he'll jump back in," Mavis said with a smile.

We'll definitely win with them," Juvia said, smiling as she loudly cheered Strider on.

"The spirit of our guild is truly a wonderful force. And these five plus Laxus exemplify that spirit perfectly," Makarov said proudly.

-o-

"This is quite a team, folks! Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Gajeel Redfox, Erza Scarlet, and Strider!" Chapati yelled. The crowd popped loudly at Striders name; he smiled and waved at them. "That's right, the man who beat Jura! The man who beat 100 monsters in Pandemonium! The man who stopped the fight between Natsu Dragneel and Sting Eucliffe!"

"You're certainly popular," Erza said.

"Jealous?" Strider asked in a mock-haughty tone.

"Decidedly not. More popularity is equal to less privacy," she said with a smile.

"We might need some privacy soon enough," he teased, turning her bright red.

"This is definitely not the time," she said.

"Apologies," he laughed.

The other teams were in the arena as well, staring down Fairy Tail. Each considered their odds and the best way to play them.

"This might be a bit tough," Risley whispered to Kagura.

"Regardless, we'll give it our all," Kagura replied, her eyes flitting between Erza and Strider.

"This is gonna be WILD," Bacchus cried out.

"WILD!" his guild answered in agreement.

"Lyon, do we have a plan of attack?" Sherry wondered.

"We have a plan: attack," Lyon replied. "Hope you're ready, Gray."

"Bring it on, stripper," Gray said, shedding his shirt.

"You two are so weird," Shelia grumbled.

"I look forward to seeing you again, Strider," Jura said.

"Likewise," Strider replied with a smile. The power the two emanated could be felt; it outshone everyone else in the arena.

"Same goes for me. Good luck, Strider," Jenny cooed.

"Ah. Now that battle, I'm much less sure about," Strider said, eliciting a giggle from her. She quickly sidled close to him, looking sideways and winking at Mira.

-o-

"Think that was for you," Bisca whispered to her.

"Mhm," Mira said with a happy smile, covering the bubbling rage inside.

 _'We'll see how it goes, Jenny,'_ she thought.

-o-

"Do you think you have what it takes to beat us?" Rufus inquired.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. We won't find out until we get in the arena," Strider said.

"Perhaps not?! Come on! Of course, we can take them!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Humility is a virtue," Minerva said. "Regardless, you are correct. We _won't_ find out until we fight it out."

"I look forward to it," Strider said.

"As do I," Minerva said with a smirk. Jenny and Erza narrowed their eyes as they saw how she composed herself. Minerva looked at the two before scoffing, taking her leave with her team in tow.

-o-

"And with that, folks, please give a round of applause to our first participants of the day. From Quatro Puppy, we have Bacchus and Rocker! And from Blue Pegasus, it's Ichiya and… w-wait… what?!" Chapati said quizzically.

Joining Ichiya was someone in a blue bunny costume.

-o-

"… The fuck?" Strider laughed.

"I have no clue," Erza said intensely.

-o-

As soon as the match began, Ichiya and the bunny were in front of Bacchus and Rocker. They extended their hands, which their opponents shook unsurely.

"A nice show of sportsmanship!" Chapati chimed in.

"Did… we just shake hands with a bunny?" Bacchus asked, bewildered.

"You know, that guy actually smells pretty damn good," Rocker said.

"I believe it's time for us to reveal our secret weapon! Bestow upon them your glorious face!" Ichiya exclaimed, pointing dramatically at the bunny.

-o-

"You know, I've been wondering who was under that mask," Eve asked, rubbing his side. The fight with Rufus had done a number on him; and despite his recovery, he was aching all over.

"I have as well. You would've thought that he would've shared with us, at least," Jenny said.

"Maybe he did, but your mind was somewhere else," Ren said with a smirk.

"And what is that supposed to mean?!" Jenny demanded. The Trimens laughed at her expense, earning each of them a sharp and painful jab in the sides.

-o-

"WHAT THE HELL?!" someone yelled as the mask came off.

-o-

"That… that's…," Lily said in shock.

-o-

"Isn't that the cat we met in Extalia?" Gajeel asked interestedly.

"Extalia?" Strider wondered.

"It's the Kingdom where all Exceeds are from. It's in Edolas," Gray said.

"Ah. The other dimension?" Strider asked.

"Indeed," he said.

"I think I'd like to visit there some day. Sounds fascinating," Strider said thoughtfully.

"Can… can it be true? I don't feel so good," Erza said, sounding faint. Strider barely caught her in time, laughing to himself.

-o-

"WWWWWIIIILLLLLDDDDD!" Bacchus and Rocker exclaimed, stamping in excitement.

-o-

"What…?" the Trimens responded. They knew about the Exceed in question - Nichiya - but weren't aware he was competing.

-o-

"It was indeed a fateful meeting," Ichiya said dramatically, flourishing around. "I was lost in the forest, my throat parched and my senses faltering. I was sinking into that black abyss forevermore until suddenly, as though a gift was sent to me upon high, I came across a clearing where the Exceeds frolicked without a care in the world. Nichiya saw me and it was friendship at first sight. He doused me with water from an ever clear lake, the taste of which I shan't forget. Man, it was as though a bright star extinguished the night and in its rousing flames, a true friendship was born!"

"True, all true. Kindly enough, Ichiya offered me a place in Blue Pegasus and since then, I have partaken in the guild's events! And now, we companions forevermore shall trounce thee! Ready?" Nichiya asked.

"Ready! Double Stud-Muffin Attack!" they exclaimed sensually, posing for the crowd.

"THAT CATS REALLY A PART OF YOUR GUILD?!" Rocker exclaimed.

"Indeed! BEHOLD!" Ichiya yelled dramatically, pointing at Nichiyas back and guild mark.

As he finished off, Bacchus seemingly had had enough. He leaped at Nichiya, who put up a hand to stop him. The hand did precisely nothing; with a single chop, Nichiya was eliminated. He flew through the air, yelling "MAAAAAAAAAN!"

-o-

"What happened?! can the cat even fight?!" Res asked desperately.

"Ouch. Hope the little guys ok," Hibiki cringed.

-o-

"Of course he can fight! the feline and I are one and the same!" Ichiya said, sweating bullets.

"Time to eat dirt!" Rocker shouted as he rushed Ichiya with Bacchus. Their flurry of attacks connected, sending Ichiya falling.

"My… apologies! I should've known you were a lover, not a fighter. But you were brave! You put your handsome face in harm's way - and I let you fall! I promise you that I shall not let your struggle be in vain!" Ichiya said, slowly getting back to his feet. Bacchus and Rocker were on edge; they thought he'd go down just as easily.

"You got chops, that's for sure," Bacchus said, taking a swig.

"BEHOLD! THE HANDSOME FACE OF JUSTICE!" Ichiya roared, drinking one of his parfums. His shirt tore off as his muscles became more and more pronounced. He bulked up considerably, towering over his contestants. Save for his face, he was like a whole new person. He pointed at Nichiya dramatically, declaring, "To you, dear friend, I dedicate the parfum of victory!"

Bacchus and Rocker prepared as Ichiya rushed them. But as he came close, he stopped.

"Now… smile," he said pleasantly, smiling toothily at them. It was enough to pause the two and give Ichiya the opening he needed. "AND SMASH!"

He hit the two with such a powerful blow, they were eliminated quickly. As he flexed for the crowd, they cheered him on.

-o-

"I guess he's not a complete idiot," Gray mumbled.

"HOLY CRAP THAT GUYS AWESOME!" Natsu exclaimed happily.

-o-

"Talk about a stud muffin," Ren said, smiling coolly.

"Ichiyas the man for sure," Hibiki agreed, striking a pose.

"What a hunk," Jenny said happily, cheering for her team's leader.

"I want to be just like him!" Eve said.

-o-

"What a… interesting performance! Now, ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for our second match of the day: Lyon and Yuka of Lamia Scale vs. Millianna and Kagura from Mermaid Heel!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Come on, you can cheer louder than that!" Millianna exclaimed, pumping them up.

-o-

"Lyon and Yuka are formidable foes! Stay on your toes, Millianna!" Erza cheered her on. Millianna grinned and waved happily at her.

"Not going to cheer Lyon on?" Strider asked Gray.

"SCREW YOU, LYON!" Gray shouted at his rival/friend. Lyon shouted something back that Strider couldn't quite make out.

"What do you think, Strider?" Natsu wondered.

"Hmm… well, they're all certainly impressive. But if I were a betting man, I would say that Mermaid Heel would win," Strider said.

"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Gajeel asked, intrigued.

"Kagura. She's an extremely adept swordswoman. Certainly a lot faster than I am," Strider said.

"You think so?" Natsu asked, surprised.

"Definitely. How she beat Yukino without even drawing her sword? Not many could pull that off. I think Erza would definitely give her a run for her money, though," Strider said, smiling at the redhead.

"I certainly hope to find out," Erza said, smirking competitively.

-o-

"Let's go Millianna!" Happy exclaimed.

"You're going to root for Mermaid Heel, Happy?" Levy asked.

"Yeah. I've got some history with Millianna. She's pretty tough!" Happy replied.

"Mmkay. I think I'll root for Lamia Scale. They were so helpful when we were gone," Levy said.

"You do that, Levy. Meanwhile, we'll root for Mermaid Heel because they're hotties," Wakaba said creepily as Levy sweatdropped.

"And… let me guess, you're going to be rooting for Lyon, Juvia? I saw him talking to you when we came back," Levy asked the bluenette.

"Did he confess his undying love for you?" Cana asked, sidling up to her.

"Aww, come on! You can tell us. Inquiring minds want to know," Mira chirped happily, knowing full well the answer.

"Well, yes. Kind of. I suppose he did. But, I've only eyes for my one true love. If only I was still on the team. What I wouldn't give to fight alongside him! GO, STRIDER!" Juvia cheered, despite him not being in the battle.

"You feel that way too, don't you Mira?" Cana asked slyly.

"As if you don't," Mira replied. The two smiled competitively at each other, knowing the others mind.

"We're getting quite close. One more match left until we fight Sabertooth," Makarov said.

"Well, I'm not too worried. I'm sure we'll pull off a victory. Now, let's just enjoy th-oh!" Master Mavis squeaked as she fell down while trying to sit on the balcony.

"First Master?! Are you alright?!" Makarov exclaimed.

"Hard to believe she's over a hundred, huh?" Cana asked Mira, who giggled at her antics.

-o-

Millianna looked around the crowd with a sigh.

 _'I wonder if he's around here?'_ she thought angrily. _'Jellal. If I ever see you-,'._

"Millianna, you have to focus," Kagura said, snapping her out of her funk.

"I will," Millianna nodded.

"Tell you what - I'm going to let you take a shot at them first. I'll stand by if you need me," Kagura said, turning away.

"Hey, wait! All alone?" Millianna asked, a bit frightful.

"You need to gain more experience. This will be beneficial for you," Kagura said as she walked away.

"I won't let you down," Millianna said.

"We can't get lazy just because they're girls. We'll need to give it all we got," Yuka said.

"Especially considering Kagura is our foe. This is it - if we win, perhaps Juvia will fall in love with me!" Lyon declared, looking longingly at her.

"Isn't she with Strider?" Yuka asked, exasperated.

"A minor road block on the the highway of our love," Lyon said.

"Pretty sure he's more than a _'minor'_ roadblock. But, whatever," Yuka sighed.

As the match began, Millianna was quick to attack. She sent a powerful tube towards the two, which they dodged effortlessly. Before they even had a chance to recover, Millianna was quickly on the offense, refusing to give them a break. The crowd cheered; her attacks were quick and ferocious; any slip-up would leave a nasty scratch.

-o-

"Man, it'd be really embarrassing if she beat _both_ of them," Sherry sighed.

"No kidding. COME ON LYON! LET'S GO YUKA!" Shelia cheered.

-o-

"Why the hell is Kagura just standing there?" Yuka asked as they got a seconds reprieve.

"Not sure. Bet I can get her to fight, though! Ice-Make: Eagle!" Lyon shouted. Ice eagles started to fly towards Kagura at a breakneck speed, but Millianna's tubes made quick work of them.

"I'm your opponent right now, not her!" she cried at them.

Yuka joined his teammate, sending waves of energy at her. Millianna was seemingly bored as she dodged them with ease. She sent another long tube at Yuka, this time hanging on. Yuka was surprised as she wrapped her legs around his neck.

"KITTEN CLAWS, KITTEN CLAWS, KITTEN CLAWS!" she said gleefully as she tore into his face. Yuka cried in pain; the scratches were potent.

-o-

"That's gonna leave a mark," Gray cringed.

"She's certainly not holding back," Erza said with a smile.

"I can't decide if he's lucky or not," Strider chuckled.

-o-

Giving Yuka a vicious hurricanrana, she leveraged herself into an attack against Lyon. He was too slow to dodge; her claws bore deep into his face, leaving a crosshatch pattern.

"What's the matter? I give you a boo-boo?" she asked with a smirk. Lyon and Yuka both looked angry, yet embarrassed; they severely underestimated her.

"Crap, that hurts!" Yuka groaned, touching his face. Millianna quickly attacked him with another tube, but this time it was blocked.

"I can block that, at the very least," he said. Millianna just smirked; suddenly, countless more tubes lunged out.

"Try blocking this!" she exclaimed.

"You can use more than one at a time?!" he asked, surprised. He attempted to expand the wave barrier to deflect the attacks, but one tube got around it, wrapping around his arm and distracting him enough that the barrier dissolved. Lyon quickly cut the tube with an eagle, but was soon ensnared by several more. They began to tie around their limbs, hardly allowing them a semblance of movement.

"I must win… for Juvia!" Lyon declared.

"Get a grip, man!" Yuka shouted.

"She may be faster… but I'm much smarter!" Lyon said. He created a mouse in front of Millianna.

"Meow? MEOW!" she exclaimed, chasing it around in a fit of giggles. It wasn't long until she remembered what she was supposed to be doing. "THAT WAS A DIRTY TRICK, JERKFACE!"

Lyon smirked, creating a blizzard that enveloped Millianna.

"Brrr— cat's hate being stuck in the cold!" she said. Suddenly, and out of nowhere, she saw a nice and warm table. She jumped under it, cuddling herself in the warmth. Again, she quickly came to her senses and erupted from under it. "CUT IT OUT, ICE FREAK OR I'M GONNA CLAW YOUR EYEBALLS OUT!"

"Did you see that Juvia my dear?! Were you impressed?!" Lyon asked, stretching his arm towards her. Juvia simply recoiled in disgust.

 _'That wasn't the reaction I was hoping for!'_ he thought, horrified by her horror of him.

-o-

"WIN THIS OR I'LL SPIN YOU!" Ooba shouted at him.

"What's it like to be spun?" Shelia asked Sherry.

"One of the worst feelings in the world," Sherry replied lamely; she'd been on the receiving end a fair number of times.

-o-

"The old hags right. We've been at this for a while. Time's running out," Yuka said.

"You're right. I was hoping to save this for Kagura, but it seems as though we'll need it now. Ice-Make: Snow Tiger!" he exclaimed. A massive snow tiger appeared and began to chase a frightened Millianna around.

"I like kitty cats, but tigers?! Not so much!" she yelped. Suddenly, she came to an unscheduled stop. Her face connected with the wall of the arena - hard. So much so, the force knocked her out.

"I'm… sorry," she mumbled to Kagura, who was standing close by.

"Looks like I'll have to fight after all," Kagura sighed, taking the field.

"About time. Wave!" Yuka shouted, attacking Kagura who easily evaded.

"An attack that can nullify the opponents magic, hmm? Impressive," Kagura said as she leaped into an attack. Yuka sent another wave at her; she easily cut it with a sword. A second later, she was behind him. She struck Yuka in the back, knocking him out with surprising ease. "But against me, it's no use."

-o-

"Not drawing her sword again, it seems," Erza noted.

-o-

"I've heard quite a bit about you. Once upon a time, you called yourself the _Cold Emperor._ You tried to reawaken the demon, Deliora, in hopes of fighting it, no?" Kagura asked.

-o-

"He tried to reawaken a demon?" Strider asked, his voice unusually sharp.

"He did. His and Gray's master, Ur, sealed it away. But Lyon tried to break it free to fight it," Erza said.

"Goddamn fool," Strider snarled. Erza was surprised by the reaction.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Some things are better left undisturbed," Strider said darkly, feeling a prickling sensation across the deep scars on his back.

-o-

"That was a long time ago. I am Lyon Vastia, a wizard of Lamia Scale. No more. No less," Lyon said. "You know, you remind me a lot of myself. But don't take that as a compliment. I was consumed by bitterness and hatred back then."

Lyon and Kagura simply regarded each other for a fraction of a moment before he sent more ice eagles at her. Kagura dodged them before attacking, rocketing him back.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?! AND YOU CALL YOURSELF MASTER UR'S STUDENT?! IF SHE SAW YOU RIGHT NOW, SHE'D BE EMBARRASSED! COME ON, I KNOW YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!" Gray suddenly shouted at him. Lyon looked surprised but smiled.

-o-

"Ultear? What do you think?" Meredy asked.

"Hmm… I haven't had a chance to talk to him. I think I'd like to, though. If only to beat him senseless for trying to resurrect Deliora," Ultear said, smiling evilly. Meredy chuckled wistfully while Jellal smiled.

-o-

"Are we going to talk or fight?! Because I'm losing my patience!" Kagura yelled at Lyon.

"Ice-Make: Snow Tiger! Ice-Make: Snow Ape! Ice-Make: Snow Dragon!" he yelled, summoning three monsters to the field. It didn't take long afterward for Kagura to activate her Gravity Magic. A purple Magic Circle enveloped the arena, shifting the gravity within its area of effect.

-o-

"Huh. Lyon must really be powerful for her to use her Gravity Magic," Beth said.

"Well, he is considered the Ace of Lamia Scale. He ought to be strong enough to get Kagura to use her Magic," Arana said.

-o-

Lyon and his creations were lifted, hardly able to move. Kagura easily struck his creations down.

"You're done for!" she yelled, rushing Lyon. She was inches from reaching him when the bell ended and she stopped immediately.

"You know what that means! Times up!" Mato said. The battle had ended in a tie. Kagura sighed, deactivating her power and landing gracefully.

"Man, Kagura's tough," Yuka said, finally getting to his feet.

Yes, but something tells me she restraining herself. Again," Lyon said.

"Every year, it's the same story. She never goes all out," Yuka said.

"Sorry I let you down, Kagura," Millianna said, disappointed in herself.

"There's no need to apologize. Lyon is a formidable opponent. But had this been an actual fight instead of a regulated match, you would've been dead," Kagura said. "We'll continue your training when the Games end."

-o-

"Looks like it's our turn now!" Mavis exclaimed.

"TIME TO KICK SOME ASS!" Cana cheered.

"Don't get hurt, Natsu and Gajeel! The last thing I want is for you two to get injured, even if it means I would get to fight alongside my beloved!" Juvia shouted.

"You're the reserve, Juvia," Levy reminded her lamely.

"Oh, my! Strider!" Juvia called out. She saw him turn her head, looking inquisitive. "Make sure you don't get hurt! But if you do, I will nurse you back to full health, my love!"

She saw him smile and bow to her, sending her heart soaring.

-o-

"Hope you're ready for this, Salamander," Gajeel said with a grin.

"This is overkill. I could take them out," Natsu exclaimed.

"LIKE HELL YOU COULD!" Gajeel yelled at him.

-o-

"That didn't take long to devolve," Strider laughed.

"Idiots," Erza sighed.

-o-

"Our main event, folks - Natsu Dragneel and Gajeel Redfox of Fairy Tail against Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney of Sabertooth! A battle between FOUR Dragon Slayers? Let's see who the top dogs _really_ are!" Chapati exclaimed to a thunderous and ground shattering applause.

As the match began, Sting and Rogue rushed forward. Quicker than them, however, were Natsu and Gajeel - who were on them so fast, that a blink would've made it seem like teleportation. The ferocity of the attack sent the two Dragon Slayers careening back.

As they regained their footing, Sting grinned.

"White Dragon ROAR!" he yelled.

"A laser?" Natsu asked as he bent back, surprised. Sting grinned before changing the direction of the attack towards Gajeel, who dodged it. Rogue soon jumped into the fray, targeting Gajeel.

"Shadow Dragon Slash!" he yelled. Gajeel was able to deflect the attack with an Iron Sword. He threw Rogue down, crashing into the dirt.

"Rogue!" Sting yelled. Out of the dust cloud that Rogue whipped up on impact, Natsu erupted, holding the Shadow Dragon Slayer by his face. He thrust Rogues head into Stings - hard.

"Fire Dragon Wing Attack!" Natsu roared, pressing his advantage. He and Gajeel soon regrouped, waiting for their foes to get back on their feet.

"Guess this might be fun after all," Sting said with a smirk before he and Rogue shifted their stances.

"White Drive."

"Shadow Drive."

A white and black aura encompassed Sting and Rogue before they erupted into another attack. Natsu and Gajeel were surprised by their sudden increase in strength and speed. Rogue melded with the shadows, making it difficult for Gajeel to land an attack; while Sting continued to pound on Natsu.

"You know, I always looked up to you! And look at me now! I'm _better_ that you!" he yelled, making a movement with his fingers. Natsu found himself unable to move.

"Hey, I can't move!" he exclaimed.

"It's a stigmata. Now you're my punching bag!" Sting shouted, pummeling Natsu.

-o-

"Those two have certainly gotten more powerful," Makarov observed.

"They've used spells to amplify their Magic. It's quite impressive," Mavis mused.

-o-

"The Shadow Dragon always finds its prey!" Rogue shouted as he appeared behind Gajeel, ready to strike. To his shock, however, Gajeel intercepted his attack.

"You say something, kid?" Gajeel asked, throwing him into the dirt again.

-o-

"Like a boss!" Jet cried happily.

"So cool!" Levy said excitedly, holding Lily close.

"Rogue has skill, but he can't come close to Gajeel when it comes to adapting," Lily said.

"Yeah, well Natsu is good at stuff too!" Happy said hotly.

-o-

Sting closed in on Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer just smiled in response, though; as Sting was only a few inches away, Natsu struck him viciously.

"You shouldn't be able to move!" Sting said angrily, visibly staggered and shocked.

 _'He burned off the stigmata?!'_ he thought.

The tide turned again; Natsu and Gajeel regained the advantage and began laying into Sting and Rogue. They soon eased off, letting them regain their footing; they didn't want it to end so quickly.

Suddenly, Sting started emanating a bright light.

"You're not bad! Looks like we'll have to give you everything we got. When we decide to go all out, there's no way fire and steel can stop us!" Sting shouted. "Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Holy Nova!"

Sting leaped at Natsu, his hand ensconced in a bright white light. Natsu calmly stood in the middle - as though bored. As Sting connected with Natsu, he sent up a massive dust cloud. As it dissolved, his smile turned into shock. Natsu had blocked his attack with a single attack.

-o-

"Woah, that's crazy," Lector said, shocked.

"No way!" Olga said, just as surprised.

"Hmm… I don't recall anyone stopping that move before," Rufus frowned.

"I can see why he had the courage to attack us. If his teammate or I had not interfered, who knows what may have happened?" Minerva wondered.

-o-

The four contestants were staring intensely at each other. Rogue and Sting changed their stance yet again; and suddenly, their power levels rose. They began to give off more magical energy as they entered their respective Dragon Force. They were each covered with scale and shadow, an emblem of their power.

-o-

"They can activate their Dragon Force at well?" Jellal observed in surprise.

"That's pretty impressive. If I had to guess, it's because of the Dragon Lacrima's inside of them," Ultear said.

"Can Natsu and Gajeel pull it off?" Meredy asked nervously.

"We'll see," Ultear sighed.

-o-

"Leave them to me, Rogue," Sting said, smirked as he moved forward. Rogue shrugged, agreeing.

Sting leaped to attack, taking on both Natsu and Gajeel. The crowd was surprised by the turn of events. Sting laid into both of them, and they seemed to be unable to fight back. His speed and power were dramatically increased. Natsu attempted to attack with a Fire Fist, but Sting intercepted him. He kicked Natsu hard, sending him flying.

Allowing Natsu and Gajeel regrouped on the ground, Sting soon took to the air.

"White Dragon Holy Breath!" he roared. The attack was so powerful, it began to shatter the floor of the arena. The crowd looked on, stunned, Natsu and Gajeel fell several levels.

-o-

Midfall, Sting pressed his advantage; he continued to pummel Natsu and Gajeel all the way down. With another powerful attack, both of them were on the ground, unmoving. Sting finally settled down on the ground, observing their prone forms.

-o-

"My word…," Makarov said, surprised.

"Come on, guys! Get up!" Levy yelled.

-o-

"Heh. Good fight. I mean it. It's the toughest I've had in years," Sting said softly.

"First Generation Dragon Slayers… Their era was grand, but they're nothing compared to us," Rogue said, landing alongside his friend. "Sting."

"I know. Gajeel wasn't mine to take down. Sorry. But I did it, didn't I? I finally did what I set out to do," Sting said, grinning at Rogue.

"Is this it for Natsu and Gajeel?! Are they done?!" Chapati asked, on the edge of his seat.

-o-

"What're you doing?! You can't lose like this!" Lily yelled.

"Come on, Natsu!" Happy cried out, tears streaming down his cheeks.

-o-

As Sting and Rogue turned to leave, they heard a stirring.

"Man… I'm gonna feel that one for a week," Natsu said, slowly getting up. Gajeel was right alongside him, looking mildly discomforted.

The crowd applauded madly, happy to see that the match was still on.

-o-

"CAN'T KEEP A FAIRY DOWN!" Jet roared.

"See, Levy?! Nothing to worry about!" Droy said.

-o-

"Excellent," Erza said proudly. If there was one thing she knew about Gajeel and Natsu, it's that they wouldn't stay down for long.

-o-

"My head…," Natsu grumbled, rubbing his head.

"It's as if Stings attacks didn't faze them at all!" Chapati exclaimed.

"Not bad, but now we've seen all your little quirks," Natsu said, grinning.

"What?!" Sting yelled, shocked.

"No!" Rogue shouted, surprised.

-o-

"No way. How'd they get up? I'm dreaming, right?" Lector asked, astonished.

"I don't… think so…," Frosche said, frowning.

-o-

"That was good, I'll give you that. But now I know everything. The timing of your attacks; the way you stand when you defend; even the rhythm of your breathing," Natsu said.

"That's impossible! I used my Dragon Force! You shouldn't be standing!" Sting said, refusing to believe it.

"Yeah, you're definitely strong! I feel like a train ran over me!" Natsu said, stretching his arms.

"don't let him get to you. He's bluffing," Rogue said through clenched teeth.

"Ha! Does Salamander look like he's smart enough to bluff?" Gajeel asked.

"Hey, I'm smart! Watch! When he attacks, he pivots his right foot to 11 o'clock!" Natsu said.

"No, it's 10 o'clock, dummy!" Gajeel retorted.

"It's totally 11!" Natsu said hotly, getting in Gajeels face.

"Are you blind?! It was 10:30 at most! Were you even watching him?!" Gajeel yelled.

"I told you, it's 23 o'clock!" Natsu shouted.

"That's the same thing, moron!" Gajeel retorted.

"What'd you call me?!" Natsu demanded. He and Gajeel soon began to fight as everyone looked on, unsure of what to make of the situation.

-o-

"Are those idiots trying to embarrass us?" Makarov asked, facepalming.

"They certainly have a lot of energy," Mavis said, giggling.

-o-

"Man, it's gotta be embarrassing, fighting like a bunch of little kids," Gray said smugly.

"You're one to talk, Gray. How often have you and Natsu fought just like that?" Erza asked, smiling fondly.

"Yeah, but not in front of the whole world," Gray said sheepishly.

-o-

"Whoopsie-daisy!" Natsu chirped as he pushed Gajeel into a mine cart and sent it into a tunnel.

"HEY! WHAT THE CRAP?!" Gajeel exclaimed before covering his mouth; his motion sickness was back.

Natsu soon turned to Sting and Rogue who were befuddled by the action.

"What, did you think I forgot about what you did before? Come on - I can take you both on," Natsu said, grinning and egging them on.

"What, did you think I forgot about that insult from before? Come on, I can take you both on," Natsu said, grinning and egging them on.

"Big mistake!" Sting shouted. "Did you forget we have control over Dragon Force? There's nothing in the world stronger than a dragon! And both of us have that power!"

"I don't think you're there just yet pal," Natsu said smiling.

-o-

 _A blonde woman in the crowd shuddered as she watched the screen, a single tear escaping her eyes._

-o-

"That power!" Jellal suddenly said.

"It's not Zeref… but it's similar," Meredy said.

"Whatever it is, Jellal, you can't let them escape," Ultear exclaimed.

"I know! As much as I'd like to stay and watch the match…" Jellal replied.

-o-

"Looks like the crowds really excited. I hope Natsu and Gajeel are doing ok," Lucy said worriedly.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're fine," Wendy chirped.

"Indeed. In fact, if you look up the word _'tough'_ in the dictionary, you'll probably find a picture of them right next to it!" Carla said.

"Yeah, you're right!" Lucy smiled. She had faith in her friends.

"Of course she is," Evergreen said, sitting on the edge of the still resting Elfman's bed.

"Good one, Carla. You're the man," Elfman said.

"As a proud woman, I highly resent that!" Carla said as everyone laughed.

 _'Oh, these kids,'_ Porlyusica thought, smiling.

-o-

"This is the power of a true Dragon Slayer! I should know! It's how I killed Weisslogia!" Sting roared.

"Oh? Maybe I should use the same power… to fight for my friends you laughed at," Natsu said, his voice betraying a slight hint of anger. A massive fire erupted behind him as he easily held Sting off. Natsu viciously punched Sting away as Rogue sneaked up behind him.

"Shadow Dragon Roar!" Rogue roared.

"Fire Dragon Roar!" Natsu roared in reply. His own jetstream of fire cut the Shadow Dragon Roar apart before colliding with Rogue.

"I'm not done with you!" Sting yelled, jumping towards Natsu.

"Frosche… don't worry. I'm not giving up!" Rogue declared as he attacked as well.

The two attacked Natsu, who easily dodged and deflected as he continued his own attacks.

-o-

"I think he's having fun. He's just grinning away like an idiot," Gray said with a grin of his own.

"Natsu is certainly one of a kind," Erza observed. "He can increase his own power in response to his opponents. He draws from it like an unending reservoir. The stronger his opponents are, the better he performs."

-o-

Our boy may be winning, but the tenacity of the other two is remarkable," Makarov said, impressed with the entire bout.

"You're right. It's very impressive," Mavis agreed.

-o-

"What an amazing battle," Jura said with a smile.

"He seems so empty headed - yet when he fights, his mind moves at lightning speed," Lyon observed.

-o-

"The Fire Wizards giving off a potent parfum," Ichiya observed.

"You're right. I've never seen anyone like him before," Ren agreed.

-o-

"They're getting their asses handed to them by one guy!" Olga said, shocked.

"Strange. I've no recollection of the Dragon Force overpowered in such a way," Rogue said.

"Nor do I. Tch," Minerva snarled.

 _'And here I thought only Strider would be the troublesome one,'_ Minerva thought.

-o-

Sting and Rogue got up slowly and gingerly. Absolutely all of their attacks were being stopped, and Natsu looked at them as though they were hardly worth the trouble.

"NOW STING!" Rogue yelled as a black shadow erupted behind him.

"YEAH!" Sting replied as a white light erupted behind him.

Light and Shadow began to connect with each other, revolving and resonating around and with the other.

-o-

"They're attempting a Unison Raid!" Makarov said in surprise. The ball shrunk smaller and smaller until they finally sent it at Natsu.

"He's not moving! Does he think he can block it?" Lily questioned.

"Come on Natsu…," Happy said, tears flowing for his friend.

-o-

 _"Hey, Natsu?" Happy said as Natsu and Gajeel headed into the ring; the match was about to begin._

 _"Yeah? Is the something the matter, buddy?" Natsu wondered._

 _"I'll let you two have your little moment. I'll be in the arena" Gajeel said._

 _"What's up?" Natsu asked again, curious._

 _"Nothings wrong," Happy said._

 _"Oh, cool. Well, it's showtime. Time to kick ass, little buddy," Natsu grinned as he turned away._

 _"Hold on a second," Happy said, stopping him. "I'm not gonna say anything. Do you know what I mean by that?_

 _"I'm not gonna say anything," Happy said, pausing. "Do you know what I mean by that?" Happy finished._

 _Natsu smiled._

 _"I hear you, partner. Loud and clear," Natsu said, smiling again at his companion before heading in._

 _Crying, Happy put up the Fairy Tail sigh in the air; Natsu returned it proudly_

-o-

As the attack connected with Natsu, the titantron blanked out; all the people could see was the aftermath of the attack - a massive explosion.

-o-

"It's gotten really quiet up there," Evergreen said.

"Yeah. Seems pretty tense," Elfman gulped.

"Can you sense it, child?" Carla asked Wendy.

"Yeah," she replied.

Lucy simply smiled as she remembered the conversation she had with Natsu before he began the match.

 _-o-_

 _"Natsu?" Lucy said._

 _"Huh? What's up, Lucy?" Natsu wondered._

 _"I believe in you, you know. I always have, since the moment I joined the guild," she said, smiling._

 _"Thanks," Natsu grinned, giving her a thumbs up. "That means a lot to me! Don't worry, Luce! I'm gonna bring us back the win!"_

 _-o-_

The entirety of the Fairy Tail guild had the symbol raised to the sky in solidarity with they dear Dragon Slayer.

-o-

"HOLY SHADOW DRAGON FLASH FANG!" Sting and Rogue roared as they sent their attack at Natsu.

"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Flame Lotus: Exploding Flame Blade!" Natsu roared. His attack exploded viciously and cut through the Unison Raid like a hot knife through butter. It encompassed Rogue and Sting, both of whom were overwhelmed by the fury and ferocity of the attack. As the explosion died down, Natsu stood atop a rocky outcrop, looming over Sting and Rogue.

"Natsu Dragneel. Your power… knows no bounds," Rogue said as he fell, unconscious.

"Sorry Lector… he's just too strong," Sting said, also falling, stunned by his defeat.

"I don't believe it, folks! Natsu Dragneel has done it! He's beaten the Twin Dragons by himself!" Chapati roared as the crowd applauded thunderously. "We've one more day before the Final Match begins! Rest and recuperate, fighters - we'll you see here tomorrow!"

-o-

Fairy Tail threw their wildest party yet that night. Gray and Natsu were up to their usual antics as Gajeel finally returned.

"Where've you been?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, jerk. You left me in the middle of the match!" Natsu exclaimed.

"For real?! I spent the entire day trying to get out of those caverns because some lava brained tool pushed me down there!" Gajeel said.

"Oh… that true, Gray?" Natsu asked.

"I worry about your lack of brain cells," Gray sighed.

"Anyways, come with me. Need to talk to you about something. You too, shrimp," Gajeel ordered Wendy.

-o-

"So, what'd you think of the matches today?" Mira asked Strider.

"Amazing in a word. Kagura is something else, as is Ichiya. But Natsu and Gajeel certainly stole the show," he said, curious about what the three Dragon Slayers were speaking about.

"Bet you were bored just standing around, though," Mira smirked.

"Perhaps a bit," he said. "At least I had good company."

"Would've been better with me," she said in a mock-smug tone.

"I'm certain I kept him well enough company, Mirajane," Erza said, taking his other side.

"You were probably bored as well," Mira sighed.

"More than you might know," Erza sighed in agreement.

"Perhaps I'm not as good a company as I like to think," Strider reflected.

"You're fine. Mostly," Mira giggled. "Anyways, I'm going to get some sleep. Sweet dreams."

"You as well," Strider said, giving her a hug goodnight.

"Adorable," Lisanna cooed from the side.

"So - hungry?" Erza wondered.

"A bit. Would you like to grab a bite?" he wondered.

"Certainly," she said.

-o-

"Strider," Erza suddenly said as they walked through the streets.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"Your scars - there's Magic that can cover them. Have you tried?" she wondered.

"Most of them were caused by cursed weapons, so I'll likely have them forever," Strider said with a wry smile. He felt Erza bring a hand to his back, gently caressing.

"The three big ones - on your back…," she trailed off.

"A real monster. Carefully inscribed," Strider sighed.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It was a long time ago. I happened upon a beast that had retreated into exile for a long time. It barely even hunted anymore. But, in my never-ending genius, I awoke him. We fought a bit and he was impressed at how I held myself; after that, he turned it up. He whipped me around. It's how I got this one," he sighed, tracing his torso. "After that, he began cutting my back with his claws. They act up from time to time, but nothing too bad - unless I'm near him."

"It's still alive?" Erza asked, surprised.

"And kicking," Strider sighed.

"I didn't think there was anything you _couldn't_ beat. After all, you slew a dragon," she said.

"Oh, I think you'd be surprised. It's a wide world. There's always something stronger," Strider said as they encountered a crowd.

"Erza," they suddenly heard a whisper from behind.

"Jellal!? What're you doing here?! What if you're seen!" Erza hissed, noting the mop of blue hair.

"I'll be fine. I wanted to inform you that I encountered a presence earlier today but lost track of it. It appears as though we're close, however," he whispered.

"Did it feel like Zeref?" Erza whispered.

"It felt similar, but not exact. I believe they're correlated, however," Jellal said.

"How so?" she asked.

"The power structure was mostly the same. I can pinpoint that something was off, but I can't be exact," he sighed.

"Very well. Keep us updated," Erza said.

"Do you have a moment?" Jellal asked her.

"I suppose so," she said, looking at Strider.

"Go ahead. I'll wait," he said.

-o-

"Ah, Kagura. It's a surprise to see you," Strider said as he encountered the Mermaid Heel team.

"Strider. Hello," she said, acknowledging him.

"You did a wonderful job during the Games today," he said.

"You don't wanna bring that up, sweety. Unless it's a win, Kagura isn't happy," Risley laughed.

"I suppose I can understand that. You did an exemplary job as well, Millianna. Yuka and Lyon were certainly on the ropes," he said.

"Meow! Thanks!" she grinned, giving him a thumbs up before sniffing him. "Is Erzy here?"

"She had to take care of something really quick. Should be back any moment," Strider said. "You two are friends, no?"

"Oh yeah! Erzy and I go _wayyyyy_ back! I wonder what she thinks of me now?" Millianna wondered.

"She was very praiseworthy of you and your performance if that means anything. I think she's quite proud of you," Strider said with a smile.

"You must've wanted to get in on the fight today, huh?" Risley wondered.

"I was more than happy to stand on the sideline, honestly. Natsu and Gajeel both did a wonderful job, no?" he asked rhetorically.

"They are quite impressive," Arana said.

"Ah - Erza. Welcome back," Strider said.

"Millianna! What're you doing here?" Erza asked, surprised and happy that she had left Jellal behind.

"We just ran into him!" Millianna said. "Hey, you guys wanna g-,"

"Millianna," Kagura said cuttingly.

"Right. Yeah," Millianna grumbled.

"We'll be taking our leave. Good night," Kagura said.

"To you as well," Strider said.

"She seems intense," Erza said. As she heard her, Kagura looked back slightly.

 _'Erza Scarlet,'_ she thought.

-o-

"So, what did he want?" Strider wondered.

"Seemly to apprise and be appraised of the situation. I told him we hadn't noticed anything yet," Erza said.

"I was surprised that you forgave him so readily," Strider said.

"I'm not sure if I ever really blamed him for anything," Erza sighed. "It's a difficult situation. But - would you have done the same if you were in my shoes?"

"Probably not. Some things can be forgiven, others can't. What he's done - it won't be easy if it's even possible," Strider said. He had thought about the conversation with Ultear, Meredy, and Jellal - wondering if they could be forgiven. His mind went back and forth, becoming unsure with each passing.

"I think he deserves it," Erza said. "He's trying to at-,"

"Right. He's trying to atone. You can't atone for killing innocent people, though," Strider said, his voice ice.

"But he was under control. It wa-," Erza began before Strider cut her off again.

"Saying it wasn't his fault does a disservice to the families he tore apart," Strider said, narrowing his eyes. Erza was surprised; she couldn't recall him speaking or looking at her in such a way before.

"They deserve a chance, don't they?" she asked quietly.

"And the dead deserve justice, don't they?" Strider retorted. He and Erza looked at each other impassively before she finally sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm going to get some rest. Good night, Strider," she said, brushing past him.

"Sweet dreams, Erza," he said, continuing his lonesome walk.


	22. Grand Magic Games: Day 5 - Memory

**My apologies for being so late with this chapter. It was a particularly busy week and I only just added the finishing touches around 4am last night.**

 **Additionally, I'd like to heap considerable praise on kallin22 for taking the time to review and help edit the chapter. They were able to catch mistakes that I didn't even think to look for.**

 **-o-**

Awakened by a particularly pleasurable dream, Cana was up before almost everyone - or so she thought. Heading downstairs, she began to hear a soft humming. As she descended the final flight of stairs and rounded the corner, she saw Strider swilling a drink in a glass.

 _'Wonder what he's singing about?'_ she wondered, listening to his soothing voice. Soon, she heard him sing a poem.

 _"All that is gold does not glitter,_

 _Not all those who wander are lost;_

 _The old that is strong does not wither,_

 _Deep roots are not reached by the frost._

 _From the ashes, a fire shall be woken,_

 _A light from the shadows shall spring;_

 _Renewed shall be the blade that was broken,_

 _The crownless again shall be king,"_

Strider ended, drawing out the ' _king'_. With a sigh, he finished the glass before pouring himself a little more. It was just then that he noted that he wasn't alone.

"Ah, Cana. Good morning. Didn't expect to see you so early," he said with a smile.

"Hey. Same goes for me. What're you doing up so early?" she wondered, taking a seat next to him.

"Just couldn't sleep, unfortunately. It's an exciting day, to say the least. Just today and tomorrow until we find out who the top dogs are," he said.

"Definitely gonna be us," Cana said with a grin as she poured herself a glass.

"Is it really wise to be drinking so early?" he wondered.

"Dunno. You tell me," she replied, clinking glasses. Strider chuckled, taking a swig alongside her.

"Fair enough, I suppose," he said, licking his lips.

"So…," Cana began.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"You and Mira?" she asked.

"Ah. Yes. I assumed that was coming up sooner or later," Strider sighed.

"So are you two a thing now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure what we are, to be honest. We decided to hold off on talking about it until after the Games," Strider said.

"Mmm. But have _you_ decided?" Cana wondered.

"I haven't, no. Why the interest, though?" he wondered.

"Just… curious," Cana sighed, swirling the amber liquid around. "Wasn't Erza in your room a couple nights ago?"

"She was," Strider said. "But you'll have to ask her about it."

"She told us about your scars…," Cana began, carefully watching for a reaction.

"I see. What do you think?" he wondered.

"Do you mind if I…?" she trailed off, resting a hand on his leg. Strider clicked his tongue a few times before shrugging. Slowly, Cana snaked her hand up his shirt and began to feel around. She sighed as she felt the ridges and edges that lined his body.

"Not a nice sight," Strider sighed.

"How'd you survive this?" she asked quietly. "You should be dead right now."

"No kidding, right? I'd chalk it up to luck, I guess," he said.

"No way. No one is _that_ lucky," she said. "This is insane. Even Gildarts isn't fucked up this badly."

"Can't tell if that's a compliment or insult," Strider sighed.

"Just a comment," Cana said, moving a little closer. She ran her other hand up his back; the story was much the same. "Wow."

"Has its perks. Who doesn't love danger?" he joked.

"This might be too much danger, you know," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder as she continued to feel around. "You're still alive. That's important. I'm happy for that."

"As am I," Strider said. "About done?"

"Hm? Oh, sorry," she said, quickly withdrawing. "I think you need another drink, honestly."

"Gladly," Strider said, letting her fill his glass. "I'm guessing you have some more questions."

"You have no idea," Cana sighed. "Do they hurt a lot?"

"Most have healed - just reminders at this point. Some still hurt, but barely," he said.

"How are you able to move like that, then? You should be slower," she said.

"When there's something that needs doing, I can't get hung up on that. Lots of other important things to take care of. They take preference," he said.

"You're done fighting in a war, you know. Isn't it time to take it easy?" Cana asked.

"This is me taking it easy," Strider said.

"Easier, then," she sighed.

"I dunno if I could do that. I stay active, which is enough for now. But you never know what the future holds. I need to always be ready," Strider said darkly.

"You think there might be a war here or something?" Cana asked.

"Anythings possible," he shrugged.

"Except that. We haven't had a war in centuries. No country in Ishgar wants to fight anymore," she said.

"I hope you're right. That said, better safe than sorry," Strider said, tapping the counter. "Enough about that, however. Planning to stick around after the Games finish?"

"Oh yeah. Mira was talking about how there are some great bars in Crocus," Cana said.

"Planning a crawl?" he wondered.

"You know it. Care to join? I'm sure it'll be fun," she said.

"Count me in. We'll go tomorrow night once we beat everyone," Strider said, grinning.

"Can't wait. Anyways, I'm going to get a little more sleep. You really should as well," she said.

"Is that an offer?" he wondered.

"Not this time, unfortunately. We don't have _that_ long," she said in a sing-song voice. Strider chuckled to himself before concentrating on his drink again. Looking out the window, the night was still strong.

-o-

"You seem tired," Mira noted as they walked to Domus Flau.

"Just a bit," Strider yawned. "Ready and able, though."

"Good luck," she said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before joining the rest of the group. Team Fairy Tail continued to make their way to the arena.

"You didn't sleep?" Erza frowned.

"Unfortunately not. Happens sometimes," he said tiredly.

"Was it because of what we talked about?" she asked quietly.

"No, not that. Just couldn't sleep is all," Strider said. "That said, I'm ready to rumble."

"Wonder what today's event is gonna be?" Gray wondered.

"All I know is I'm gonna kick whoever's ass I have to!" Natsu exclaimed.

"YOU?! IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Gajeel yelled.

"We'll wait to hear what it is before we decide. All of us have already participated," Erza reminded them.

"Yeah, but you and Strider kicked ass! You gotta let us do that too!" Natsu whined.

"Erza's right. But don't worry. I believe tomorrow's event is a free for all between all the Guilds. I'll be surprised if any of us gets knocked out," Strider said with a smile.

-o-

"Welcome to Day Five of the Grand Magic Games, folks!" Chapati exclaimed to the excited crowd. "We have a simple event in store for you today, but perhaps it will be the most entertaining as well! The rules are as follows: each team will choose one fighter to represent them. Once all the competitors are on the field, a barrier will be erected and a countdown timer will begin. If you touch the barrier, you will be given a point. At the end of the countdown, whoever is closest to zero will earn 10 points for their teams!"

-o-

"I will participate in this event," Kagura said solemnly.

"Alright! We've definitely got this one in the bag. Gravity Magic is the way to go!" Risley said excitedly as Kagura walked out.

-o-

"And it looks like Lyon is going in for Lamia Scale! No doubt he wants some payback for yesterday's match! We might see a score being settled here, folks!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

"Jenny?" Eve wondered.

"Nope. Hibiki?" Jenny asked.

"No way. Already got my ass kicked in an event once," he sighed. "Ren?"

"Na. Eve?"

"I guess. Master is still out of commission. Plus, we want him to be rested for tomorrow," Eve sighed.

"You can do it!" Jenny chirped behind him.

-o-

"WILD!" Bacchus roared, slumping onto the field.

-o-

"Sting?" Rogue asked quietly.

"No," was all Sting said, his eyes shifting to Minerva.

"Do you wish to say something?" she asked coolly.

-o-

 _"PITIFUL!" Jiemma roared at the Dragon Slayers in front of him. Sting and Rogue were getting a tongue lashing from him; no one in the guild recalled him being so angry before._

 _"What happened, Sting, Rogue? I thought you two were REAL Dragon Slayers? You used to love reminding us of that fact. And then you go out there and get your asses handed to you by ONE guy?" Jiemma demanded. "What do you two have to say for yourselves?"_

 _"It's like you said, Master," Rogue said, clenching his fist. "Natsu was able to subdue Sting and me somehow without using his full power. We never imagined that he would be that strong."_

 _"Are you whining, boy?" Jiemma roared as he hit Rogue and sent him flying across the room._

 _"Rogue!" Frosche squealed, terrified as he rushed over to check on his friend._

 _"Aww, don't be like that master. They all tried their best! I'm sure they'll get it next time!" Lector said encouragingly, drawing all eyes toward him._

 _"Who are you?" Jiemma asked._

 _"I'm a member of Sabertooth, sir. See?" Lector said, showing Jiemma his mark._

 _"Who defiled our guild by placing the mark on this mangy beast?" Jiemma asked._

 _"What…" Lector began but was cut off._

 _"BEGONE!" Jiemma roared. A bright began to erupt from where Lector was standing._

 _"Help me, Sting…" Lector said softly before an explosion erupted on the very spot. As it subsided, there was nothing besides a black mark on the ground._

 _"LECTOR!" Sting roared, eyes wide in horror._

 _"Stay close, Frosche," Rogue said, holding him close._

 _"He killed Lector," Frosche cried._

 _"What, you knew that thing?" Jiemma asked Sting._

 _"What the hell have you done?!" Sting roared. He caught Jiemma off guard as he roared at him in full force. Without a second to defend, Jiemma was blasted by the powerful laser. He fell to the ground, the pain overwhelming._

 _"You'll pay for that…" Jiemma said, struggling to get up._

 _"Well, this is a surprise," Minerva suddenly said as she walked to Jiemma._

 _"Minerva…" Jiemma coughed._

 _"What was it you always said? One loss, you're out? There can be no weak links, after all," she continued as she observed Jiemma, the displeasure evident in her eyes._

 _"What're you doing, you witch?" he snarled._

 _"Remove your guild mark, old man. I think at this point, Sting should take up your mantle," she continued, walking over to Sting. "Stop your crying. Your friend is safe. I hid him in a pocket dimension before the old man got him."_

 _"What? Really, M'lady? Thank you! You can bring him back now!" Sting said, amazed._

 _"No. Not until after the Games are over. I may have saved him, but he's not out of the woods yet. We win, you'll get him. We don't…," Minerva trailed off. "And before you think of attacking me, remember that I'm the only one that can bring him back alive."_

-o-

"No, M'lady," Sting said gruffly.

"Mmm, I thought as much. I shall participate in this event," she said.

"Are you sure, M'lady? You may be participating in the battle," Rufus suggested.

"No, I'm certain this is far more conducive to my skills," she said, walking out.

-o-

As the contenders finally walked out, everyone turned to Fairy Tail - who was still bickering back and forth.

-o-

"Well, this is unusual," Chapati sighed.

-o-

"NO! IT'S GONNA BE ME!" Natsu yelled at Gajeel and Gray.

"WHAT, SO YOU CAN GET SICK AGAIN?!" Gray yelled back.

"HEY, AT LEAST I GOT US A POINT!" Natsu shouted.

"YOU WANNA GO?!" Gray screamed at him.

"LET'S-" Natsu began before he and Gray were shut up unceremoniously by Erza.

"Children," she sighed. "Strider?"

"I'm game," he said, walking out. As soon as the crowd saw him, they erupted into a loud cheer. The other contenders looked on, half wary - half excited.

-o-

"Ugh. Now I wish I did go out," Jenny sighed, blowing him a kiss.

"Not that kinda match, Jenny," Ren teased, earning a glare from her.

-o-

"Ah. Now I'm jealous," Jura sighed.

"You really shoulda gone out there, Jura!" Shelia said. "But Lyon's got this!"

"I certainly hope so," Sherry mused, not as certain about his chances.

-o-

"Looks like Fairy Tail is busting out the big guns," Risley said.

"Awww, man!" Millianna whined. She knew Kagura was a significant threat, but Strider was something else.

-o-

"Gentlemen. Ladies," Strider greeted them.

"This is gonna be wild," Bacchus said with a grin.

"I was hoping you would send out Gray," Lyon sighed.

"He got on Erza's bad side. I'm sure you know what that's like," Strider sighed.

"Indeed. A wager, Strider," Lyon said.

"Oh? What is it?" Strider asked interestedly.

"If I win, you will hand over Juvia!" Lyon said dramatically.

-o-

Juvia screamed in horror at the thought of being parted from her beloved.

"Guess we know what she thinks of the idea," Mira giggled.

-o-

"What?" Strider wondered.

"WAIT! NOT LIKE THAT! I mean if I beat you, then Juvia must join Lamia Scale!" Lyon covered up.

"That's up to her, I'm afraid," Strider laughed. "But what if I win? What will I get?"

-o-

"More wagers?" Chapati wondered hopefully.

-o-

"I've no interest in making trivial wagers," Kagura sighed.

"Oh come on, Kaggy! Live a little!" Bacchus said, downing his alcohol. Strider saw Kagura tighten her grip on her sword; if there weren't so many people, it's likely that Bacchus would've lost his head by now.

"If I win, Juvia must join Lamia Scale!" Lyon declared again.

"Let's see… well, I wouldn't mind it if Wendy joined Blue Pegasus," Eve shrugged.

-o-

"WHAT?!" Wendy exclaimed, turning a bright red.

"Oooh, I think Eve really likes you," Lucy teased her.

"HUH?!" she shrieked, turning an even brighter red.

"Oh, they'd be _sooo_ cute together!" Mira cooed.

"Wait! What if Wendy doesn't want to?!" Romeo suddenly chimed in. He soon regretted it as Mira, Cana, and Lucy turned to him, their eyes bright as they picked up on the meaning.

"Should've kept quiet, kiddo," Macao sighed.

-o-

"I… want you guys… to buy me… alcohol… for life!" Bacchus said, rolling on the balls of his feet, grinning madly.

"That's fine with me," Strider said. "Kagura? It just wouldn't be right if you didn't join."

Kagura looked at Strider, her eyes soon traveling to his sword. If he was anything like her, his sword was an extension of himself.

"What is the make of your sword?" she wondered.

"Ah. You want my sword?" he asked with a short laugh. "It's old and imbued with some unique Magic. That's as much as I can say about it."

"Very well. Should I win, I'll have your sword," she said.

"Excellent. And you?" Strider asked coldly, his eyes traveling to Minerva. She smiled as she looked at him intensely.

"Should I win, you will join Sabertooth. Immediately," Minerva said.

-o-

"WHAT?!" Mira asked angrily and she wasn't the only one. No one on Fairy Tail seemed keen on the idea.

-o-

"Very well," Strider said pleasantly.

"And what will you demand of us?" Minerva wondered.

"If I win, _you_ will personally apologize to Lucy - and mean it," Strider said.

"Excuse me?" she asked, surprised.

"You will personally - and honestly - apologize to Lucy. I think it's fair. If that means you have to get on your knees and beg, so be it," Strider said. Minerva scoffed before shrugging.

"Very well. I accept," she said.

"Alright, folks! With that out of the way, let's begin the match! The barrier is up and the countdown… begins… NOW!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

As soon as Chapati finished, Strider's telekinetic power surged immensely. No one had a moment to prepare as their bodies were flung back, much like Jura's on the first day. The crowd cheered as everyone, except Strider, earned a point.

"That's not fair!" Eve complained.

"Apologies," Strider said, holding out his hand and sending Eve back into the barrier, adding another point to Blue Pegasus. Lyon shot an Ice Eagle at Strider which he cleaved apart before pulling Lyon close and giving him a painful headbutt. As Lyon's head shot back, Strider grabbed him by the collar and launched him at the barrier - another point for Lamia Scale. Bacchus got a karate chop in on Strider. Strider felt the sting of the attack but shrugged it off, kicking Bacchus square in the stomach and sending him back, just short of reaching the barrier.

Kagura soon got close to him, her sword still sheathed. Strider drew Anglachel and locked blades with her, frowning. He could sense the fury behind the attack but was unsure if the ire was directed at him. Kagura had to look up; Strider towered over her by a foot or so and behind his eyes, she felt a certain sense of power.

"You're strong, but are you quick?" she wondered as she stepped back and quickly began slashing at him. Kagura had the speed advantage as Strider had a difficult time blocking all of her attacks, some getting through. He was thankful that Kagura's blade was still sheathed and that his cloak was so strong; beyond reverberating against his bones, he was able to shrug off the attack.

"Evidently not," he sighed, clicking his tongue. "I don't think I've often - or ever - fought anyone as fast as you are."

"I'm afraid praise won't help you against me," Kagura said getting ready to unleash again.

"I'm well aware. That said, unless you unsheathe your blade, you won't be doing much against me," Strider said, activating his telekinesis again. To his surprise, however, Kagura didn't go flying back. Looking at her, he saw a purple aura.

-o-

"She stopped him?!" Mira asked, surprised.

"Gravity Magic. Kagura can increase or decrease the efficacy of the attack within her radius, or she can increase or decrease her weight to allow her more freedom. It's quite an interesting counter," Mavis said, intrigued.

"Wow. I thought he was gonna bust through everyone," Bixlow said.

"I suppose it's a good thing," Mavis said with a smile.

"Why do you say that, First Master?" Makarov wondered.

"It'll make him think a bit more. Strider doesn't seem like he's used to people stopping him like that," Mavis said, noting the surprised look on his face.

-o-

"Gravity Magic," she said. "I-,"

"There's no need to elucidate. I'd much rather find out for myself," Strider said; he felt a rush of excitement that he hadn't in a long time.

 _'No ones been able to defend against my Magic for a long time! This is getting interesting!'_ he thought ecstatically. Kagura was surprised by the sudden intensity of his next attack; Strider used his telekinesis to propel himself forward. Anglachel locked with Archenemy and Kagura was forced back a bit.

"He seems a bit more riled," Lyon said.

"No kidding. I think we're gonna have to work together for a bit," Eve said.

"Agreed. Bacchus?" Lyon asked as Bacchus downed another bottle.

"Ha! I'm in, man. Let's get wild," he grinned.

"And you?" Lyon asked Minerva, who was mostly observing.

"As if I need your help," she said. She suddenly disappeared into a pocket dimension, surprising the three. Looking towards Kagura and Strider, they saw a black ball appear between them. Kagura seemed surprised by Strider suddenly reaching into it. Fishing around, he felt an arm; grabbing it, he ripped Minerva out and tossed her at the barrier, adding another point to Sabertooth.

"That won't work on me," he said coldly. He suddenly felt his body blast back; Kagura used the moment of thoughtlessness to lower the gravity around him, making him nearly weightless. Strider used his telekinesis to bury his blade deep into the ground, slowing him. He felt the weight on his right shoulder but pushed through the pain, stopping only feet from the barrier. Kagura rushed him almost immediately. Strider threw up a dust cloud with his Magic, blinding her a bit. Roughly, he grabbed her face and hurled her the few feet left to add another point to Mermaid Heel.

-o-

"That was close," Erza sighed.

"She's no joke, though. Holy crap! Erza! You think you could take her?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I certainly hope to find out," Erza said.

-o-

Lyon, Bacchus, and Eve took that moment to strike. Strider flew to the center, making sure he was as far as he could be from the barrier. As the others got back up, they looked at each other, wondering what their best strategy was.

"As I said, we may have to work together," Lyon said. "Kagura?"

"Very well," she sighed; as much as she didn't want to admit it, Strider was deft in his movements.

"Minerva?" Lyon asked again. She sighed but didn't move. "Good."

"All five, hmm? So be it," Strider said, rolling his neck. His eyes and mouth blazed blue as he smiled eerily at them. He took a step forward - before suddenly, he was gone in a haze of smoke.

"What ju-," Lyon began before he felt a painful shock in his side. Strider and reappeared, slashing him viciously; and a moment later, he was gone. He reappeared near Bacchus and cut him as well before disappearing and reappearing behind Eve. He grabbed him by his collar and hurled him into the ground before turning his attention to Minerva and Kagura, both of whom began to move quickly around the arena.

Strider blasted the ground with his telekinesis, sending up a massive dust cloud that hindered the other two. He appeared behind Kagura and grabbed her around the waist, suplexing her into the barrier. As he appeared near Minerva, though, she barely dodged him.

"An interesting maneuver," she said. Strider simply chuckled - but it was a mirthless one, devoid of any humor. More than anything, it was menacing; Minerva felt the hair on her neck stand up.

"There's no escape," she heard him say in an icy tone.

"Are you sure of that?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

"I am. Fall," he said. Minerva felt her body collapse, the weight of the telekinesis to much. The ground around her cratered before she was sent towards the barrier.

-o-

"Looks like Strider is in the lead, folks! It's not entirely unexpected - he has been the one to beat during the Games!" Chapati announced.

-o-

"I didn't know he could teleport like that!" Max exclaimed.

"Nor did I. Mira?" Freed inquired.

"I didn't know either. Guess there's still a lot about him we don't know," she said, brow furrowed. Whenever his features blazed blue, she felt an uncomfortable sensation - as though he wasn't the Strider she felt for. He was usually kind and caring; but like this, he had a menacing and dangerous aura about him.

"It's pretty cool, though," Bixlow said with a grin.

-o-

"Kind of reminds me of that Racer guy," Gray mused.

"I thought he simply moved fast?" Erza asked.

"He did. He couldn't teleport like that. Although, looks like Strider can't go too far," Gray said.

"Teleportation is always a dangerous feat. It's best to be used sparingly or not at all," Erza said. She had heard horror stories of people that left half of their bodies behind when attempting it.

-o-

"Damn it…," Lyon said as he got to his feet after being thrown against the wall again. Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel had three points, while Blue Pegasus, Sabertooth, and Quatro Puppy had two; Fairy Tail was still at 0 and in the lead.

Strider took care to even the score; methodically, he pelted Minerva, Eve, and Bacchus into the barrier again. As he got settled, he had to quickly take his sword out and lock with Kagura again, who seemed to be increasing her ferocity. Strider kept up with each attack of the scabbard.

"Is that all?" he asked.

"Meaning?" she inquired, leaning in close. Their faces were only a foot apart, each measuring the other.

"Aren't you going to actually use the blade?" he asked.

"It's not meant for you," Kagura answered.

"Who is it for, then?" he asked.

"That…," Kagura said, twirling and getting a strike in on his right shoulder. Strider clenched his teeth hard as he took a few steps back, trying to get the throbbing under control, "…is none of your business!"

 _'Damn Nazgûl,'_ Strider thought. He felt a bit of liquid begin to trickle down under the shirt; Kagura had burst the wound open. He quickly applied some telekinetic pressure to it - he couldn't let any blood drop here.

"Only a few minutes left, competitors!" Chapati announced.

"You may wish to focus on each other," Strider said as he circled the other guilds like a wolf stalking its prey. Minerva sighed; she could see where this was going. She suddenly lashed out at the others, forcing an explosion that caught Bacchus, Eve, and Lyon off guard. Each was flung into the barrier, while Kagura evaded her attack. Kagura ripped after Minerva while Strider watched.

"Such anger," Minerva teased. "I suppose it's no surprise you defeated that little girl."

"Your teammate?" Kagura asked.

"She's no teammate of ours," Minerva spat. "Sabertooth does not accept loss!"

"You don't have much of a choice," Kagura retorted, landing a blow on Minerva that ripped part of her dress. "The winner of this match already seems to be decided."

"Perhaps if someone wasn't such a coward?" Minerva offered.

"I take that to mean _me_?" Kagura spat, shifting the gravity around her and Minerva. She was about to land an attack when Minerva disappeared into her pocket dimension. She reappeared behind Kagura, blasting her into the barrier.

"Who else?" Minerva said. "A timid little girl, always afraid to expose herself - in more ways than one."

"You know nothing about me!" Kagura said angry, leaping towards Minerva again. Minerva smiled; she had gotten the exact reaction she wanted. She took advantage of Kagura's anger and managed to land another point on her.

Meanwhile, Lyon, Eve, and Bacchus had resolved that they would not place first - but just as much, they were focused on not placing last either. Lyon and Eve had teamed up on Bacchus, landing several decisive blows - but were unable to force him back. Downing another bottle, Bacchus took the battle close and personal. The Ice and Snow Wizards were unable to defend against his exemplary Palm Magic and hand to hand combat; Bacchus easily threw them into the barriers several times. While he took a moment to soak in victory, Minerva landed another spatial explosion on him. She was clearly poised to take second place.

"And what is your Magic, I wonder?" Strider asked he came up behind her, sending her face first into a barrier before telekinetically rocketing Kagura back before she had a chance to activate her Gravity Magic.

"Territory," Minerva said as she walked back to him. She refused to end the match without landing a decisive blow on him in particular.

"Territory?" Strider questioned.

"I can manipulate space," she said.

"Interesting," Strider mused.

"No one has ever tried to reach into my dimension, though. That was a foolish move," she said.

"What's the worst that could happen?" he wondered.

"You could lose an arm," she said.

"Worse things could happen," he shrugged. "So, you can teleport using your Magic? Intriguing."

"You're far too kind," she said. "You seem to be able to do so as well."

"Only short distances," he said. Minerva suddenly teleported again. Strider braced himself, waiting for the spatial sphere to reappear. It suddenly did in front of him. As Minerva exited, instead of attacking him, she suddenly kissed him. Strider was surprised, to say the least - enough so that Minerva generated an explosion that blasted him back - and into the barrier. Landing gracefully, she licked her lips and smiled.

-o-

"I DIDN'T EXPECT THAT, FOLKS!" Chapati suddenly roared while the crowd simply cried out in shock. None really had the words to express what Minerva did.

-o-

"WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Makarov yelled.

Mira, Bisca, Cana, Lucy, and Juvia all stared with wide eyes, unable to process it. Mira's She-Devil aura began to surge forth, her anger ignited.

"That bitch!" she snarled.

"No kidding! THAT WAS DIRTY!" Cana shouted at her.

"Must… kill… Minerva…," Juvia said, feeling a vicious surge of anger.

"When I get my hands on her…," Lucy said.

"What happened, Mama?" Asuka asked as Bisca stopped rocking her. Bisca felt a sudden urge to whip out a sniper rifle and headshot Minerva.

"You'll know when you're older, sweetheart," Bisca said with a pained smile.

"I can't decide whether to be angry or jealous…," Macao cried.

"That was quite an interesting attack," Mavis giggled. She laughed full force as she saw Makarov, Macao, and Wakaba long for similar treatment.

-o-

"Uhh… Erza…?" Natsu asked.

"Hmm?" Erza hummed.

"Your gloves are cracking…," Natsu pointed out. There were significant cracks forming in her armored gloves.

"Natsu," Erza began.

"Yeah?" he wondered.

"If you speak again, the only thing cracking will be your skull," she said menacingly.

"Aye," the Dragon Slayer replied meekly.

-o-

"HEYTHATWASADIRTYTRICKYOUBITCHWHYDON'TYOUFIGHTFAIRHUHIFISEEYOUTOMORROWIMGONNAKICKYOURASS!" Jenny shouted at Minerva.

"I've never seen her this pissed," Hibiki mused.

"Did she forget which team she's on?" Ren sighed.

-o-

"What the hell?!" Sting shouted, aghast.

"That… did the trick, it seems," Rufus mused, also unsure of what to say.

"Didn't think she'd plant one on him," Olga said.

"Rogue?" Rufus asked.

"I have no idea, honestly," Rogue sighed.

"The old man can't be happy about that," Olga said.

-o-

"Well, she did manage to land a point on him," Meredy laughed.

"I can't tell if he's happy or not," Ultear sighed.

"Of course he is!" Meredy giggled. "Come on, any guy would be! Right, Jellal?"

"I have no idea," Jellal sighed.

-o-

The timer finally hit zero. Fairy Tail handily won, with Sabertooth in second place, Mermaid Heel in third, Quatro Puppy fourth, Lamia Scale fifth, and Blue Pegasus sixth. Strider was back to normal, eyeing Minerva curiously.

"Well, that was unexpected," he finally said.

"I use what I can to my advantage," she said.

"I can tell. Can't say I'm entirely disappointed with the outcome," he said. "I look forward to hearing you apologize."

Minerva scoffed and sighed as she headed off the arena. The others sulked away, except Kagura - who was looking intensely at Minerva's retreating form.

"Are you alright?" Strider asked as he passed her.

"What?" she asked sharply.

"Are you alright?" he reiterated. "You seem angry."

"That's none of your business," she said, brushing past him.

-o-

"Strider! What the hell, man?! You're supposed to be fighting, not getting laid!" Gajeel yelled.

"I know, I know," Strider sighed. "I was just as surprised, believe me."

"Well, it was an accident. Can't be helped, I guess," Erza said, her teeth grating. The intense anger had not yet died down. Strider sighed, wondering what he could say to her - and the others. He began to focus on cleaning up the trickles of blood that threatened to spill.

"Uhh…," Gray began.

"Leave it if you wanna live," Natsu said, surprisingly sage-like.

"Yeah… good idea," Gray grumbled.

-o-

"Uhhh… M'lady?" Olga began.

"Hmm?" Minerva hummed.

"Never mind…," Olga sighed.

"A wise decision," she said.

-o-

"Well, folks - our fighters have their work cut out for today. That event is gonna be hard to top - but they'll try nonetheless! Welcome to the battles for the day - the final three before tomorrow's Final Match! Please welcome to the arena - Ren from Blue Pegasus and Novali of Quatro Puppy!" Chapati shouted. Despite the cheer, it was more muted than before.

-o-

"GO REN!" Sherry cheered.

"Tch," he scoffed, mocking indifference.

 _'Gotta make sure I win. Can't let myself lose in front of her,'_ he told himself.

"LET'S GET WILD!" Novali yelled, ready to rumble.

Ren and Novali wasted no time in attacking each other striking quickly and hard. Ren's attacks seemed to have a bit more power; it wasn't long until he had blasted Novali back with his magic. The bandanna-wearing Wizard grunted, trying to figure out the best way to combat him.

Ren posed as Sherry cheered him on; the slight opening was enough for Novali to land a powerful attack, blasting the Air Wizard back.

 _'Gonna have to turn it up a notch, I guess,'_ Ren thought. He began charging up a magic attack but opted not to release it at just that moment. Novali was intrigued; he took the risk and got up close. As he nearly closed the distance, however, Ren finally unleashed his spell. The cyclone hit Novali head on, sending him flying high into the air. It was a few seconds before his body smacked on the ground; he let out a meek 'wild' before passing out.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen - our winner, Ren of Blue Pegasus!" Chapati announced.

-o-

"Way to go, Renny!" Sherry cheered delightfully while Ren smiled.

"Ren, Ren, he's our man, if he can't do it, only Ichiya can!" Eve and Hibiki cheered as Ren returned to him, bowing.

-o-

"Next up - from Lamia Scale, we have Jura Neekis against Risley Law of Mermaid Heel!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"I dunno about this one," Beth said worriedly.

"Kagura?" Millianna asked.

"Jura is extremely powerful," Kagura sighed. As much as she didn't want to say it, she didn't like Risley's chances.

-o-

"Iron Rock Jura, huh?" Risley asked, smiling.

"Your Magic is exceptional," Jura said, returning the smile. "It's a rare Wizard that can master Gravity Magic. I know how complex it can be."

"Now you're just charming me," Risley giggled.

"Not at all. It's why I intend to go all out," Jura said as Chapati announced for them to begin. Risley was off to a strong start. She used Gravity on herself, changing from her short and stout physique to a tall and slender one.

-o-

"She's like a whole new person," Strider said.

"Kinda weird, though," Gray said.

-o-

Jura anchored himself as he felt the gravity change around him. Suddenly he brought both of his hands up, buffeting her towards the sky with rock pillars that erupted from the ground. Risley easily manipulated the Gravity around her; she managed to land deftly on her feet.

"Quite impressive," Jura said as he hurled several large boulders at her.

"Charmer," she smiled. She changed the Gravity of the boulders, making them almost weightless. They flew back at Jura - who took them head on. A passive hand erupted from the ground and punched through. Risley activated Gravity yet again, but the speed was too high to be immediately affected. The Rock Fist collided with her, knocking her out.

-o-

"And this match goes to Jura, folks!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"Well done," Lyon said with a smile.

"She's an adept Wizard. I look forward to seeing her in future games," Jura said.

"Hmm… that leaves Fairy Tail and Sabertooth. I wonder who's gonna be chosen?" Shelia wondered.

-o-

"And now, folks, our final match of the day! From Sabertooth, we have Rufus Lore!" Chapati exclaimed. As Rufus walked out with a smile, he received a thunderous applause from the crowd. They recalled his tremendous performance from the first event and were hoping for another blowout. "And from Fairy Tail… oh, this is a surprise! The man that astounded us just moments prior - welcome back to the arena - STRIDER!"

The crowd veritably exploded, chanting his name furiously. Rufus frowned; the cheer that Strider received was far more significant than his own.

-o-

"I think I'm gonna go deaf," Lisanna grumbled, covering her ears.

"No kidding. Super loud," Lucy whined.

"Think he's ready, though? He just fought," Levy said.

"I'm sure he's fine, especially up against pretty boy," Cana said.

-o-

"I wasn't expecting to face you of all people," Rufus said.

"Nor was I," Strider said, stretching a bit.

"I was more surprised to see that Lady Minerva managed to land a point on you. Perhaps you aren't invincible," Rufus mused.

"I never claimed to be," Strider said. "Although, I'm not sure a similar tactic will work for you."

"I've no compunction about that. I'm far more intrigued to see what else you're capable of. Your Magic is intriguing, to say the least," Rufus said.

"Thank you. Your Memory-Make Magic is something else as well. I assume you've tried to copy my attacks?" Strider asked.

"I have," Rufus sighed.

"Any luck?" Strider wondered.

"None at all. I'm curious to find out why," Rufus said.

"Best of luck," Strider said graciously as Chapati shouted at them to begin.

"Night of Shooting Stars!" Rufus immediately exclaimed, sending the bright balls of lightning at Strider. Strider immediately took control of them and flung them back at Rufus, who seemed surprised.

"Surprised?" Strider wondered.

"More than a little. But, you must have limitations," Rufus said.

"Certainly. In a sense, my Magic just might be the weakest here. After all, I can't create something out of nothing as everyone else appears to be able to," Strider said.

-o-

"What's he talking about, First Master? He's kicking ass!" Macao inquired.

"He is, Macao, but that's because Strider has significant control over his Magic. In fact, he's likely the strongest here in terms of control. I don't think we've seen the limit of his powers yet. That said, he's right when he says that he's limited to what he can control. While the range is considerable, there are some things that Strider can't do that virtually every other Wizard here can - create something, such as fire with Natsu or ice with Gray - or anything from memories with Rufus," Mavis said with a light smile.

"But he's always surrounded by… something," Mira said.

"And that is where his versatility lies. So long as something exists, Strider's telekinesis will be able to control it, making it a difficult ability to overcome," Mavis said.

"You're a strategist, First Master. How would you go about fighting him?" Makarov wondered.

"Minerva seemed to have had the most ideal approach," Mavis giggled, breaking into full laughter as she saw the looks on some of the girls.

-o-

"Indeed," Rufus said. "I've noticed that you are unable to do that. But light should be difficult for anyone to control."

"Ah, well, there's the rub. If it exists, I can control it," Strider said. "That said, you've got a significant repertoire to work with."

"Karma of the Burning Lands!" Rufus shouted, using the same move he used on Eve. Strider felt the area around him start to heat up significant; a moment later, pillars of fire began jutting at him. He flew between them, doing his best not to touch any; even with his control, he could feel the sear.

"Come on, hit that pretty boy!" Gray yelled at him from the sidelines, eliciting a chuckle from Strider.

 _'Gray definitely wants another go at him,'_ Strider thought. Meanwhile, Rufus continued cycling through his attacks, which Strider managed to easily evade.

"Your speed is impressive," Rufus said as he stopped for a moment, smiling.

"You're far too kind," Strider said. Suddenly, Rufus closed his eyes and began to concentrate. Strider felt a pressure on his head, as though something was trying to wiggle in.

It was as though a dark veil had come over Domus Flau. People looked on, intrigued as Strider's memory was projected for the world to see.

-o-

"What's going on?" Makarov asked.

"It appears as though Rufus is projecting Strider's memory. He appears to have put a lot of power into the attack, which explains why we can see it," Mavis said.

"Is that fair? This is private!" Mira shouted.

"Unfortunately, I don't think the match will be stopped," Mavis frowned.

-o-

"Interesting," the king said, noting the change. The entire arena had a shadow looming over it, signifying the strength of the attack.

"What kind of attack is this, Father?" Princess Hisui wondered. She was a beautiful young woman with stark green hair that went just past her shoulders. She wore a light green dress and two ringlets around her left thigh and right calf. She had been watching the games intently, impressed by the new addition to Fairy Tail.

"I'm not sure, my dear. Since Rufus uses Memory-Make Magic, I image it's related," the king said.

"I'm not sure this is right," she frowned. "This seems personal to Strider."

" _Strider_?" the king asked, surprised his daughter used the Fairy's first name so casually.

"Isn't that his name?" Hisui asked.

"It is - I just didn't think you were comfortable enough with him to use it," the king laughed.

"Ugh…," Hisui grumbled.

-o-

 _More figures and shapes began to take form until finally, they coalesced into a discernible image. The crowd was engulfed in the memory and transported to a world they hadn't been to. They were in the middle of what appeared to be an outpost with stone walls and pillars jutting up on either side. As they heard a clash and clang, their eyes settled on several figures. Strider was immediately recognizable, his appearance the exact same as it always was. What was different, however, was that he had his sword drawn and was locked in a fierce battle with several cloaked figures. All they could see of the mysterious figures were their swords, their gauntlet covered hands, and their greaves covered feet. In a corner, they saw several tiny people huddled into a corner, watching with fright._

 _Strider blasted a figure back before locking his sword with another one. He began smashing it down on the sword of the other, who buckled. With a sharp burst, he sent the figure tumbling back and out of sight. Two came at him from either side, but he managed to get out in the nick of time. A third, however, managed to land a blow on him. The sword cut through Strider's cloak and slashed him across the chest. He recoiled and put some distance between him and them, clenching his teeth as he tried to figure out a strategy._

 _In his moment of recoil, he saw one heading for the huddled figures. Strider shouted at it before rushing again into the midst of the battle. He put himself between the cowering folk and the looming specters, determined to keep them safe._

 _"What're you gonna do?" one of them asked._

 _"Trying to figure that out," Strider said, gritting his teeth. "If you see an opening, run and don't look back."_

 _"We can't just leave you!" another shouted._

 _"You just might have to," Strider said, locking swords with another dark figure. It let out a terrifying screech which grated on his ears. Strider didn't have time to deflect a figure that suddenly came at him from the side. He let out an anguished scream as a dark sword pierced his shoulder._

-o-

"What the hell…?" Lucy said softly as she saw the look of pain. She hadn't ever seen him like that before; he seemed to be severely hurt.

"When did this happen?" Cana wondered aloud, gulping as she saw black blood begin to drip down the blade that pierced his shoulder.

Mira surreptitiously rubbed her own, gulping as she remembered the black mark on his shoulder.

-o-

"That's gotta hurt," Gajeel said.

"No kidding. Looks really bad," Natsu said.

-o-

"Looks like he does bleed," Minerva mused with clear interest.

-o-

The memory began to fade before suddenly, a bright light erupted in the dark. Instead of being something warm and comforting, however, a sudden chill descended on the arena. The crowd began to shiver and panic, looking around for something resembling their world. All they could see, however, was a bright orange light in front of what appeared to be a pain ridden Strider.

"Folks, I'm not sure what's going on here…," Chapati said nervously.

-o-

"Do you feel that?" Mavis suddenly said, gulping.

"I do, First Master. What is it?" Makarov asked, fear etched into his heart as well.

-o-

"What's going on?!" Lyon shouted.

"I'm not certain. I feel something, but I'm not sure what," Jura said, feeling the hair on his neck stand up.

-o-

"It looks like there's something in the light," the king said, covering his eyes.

"Father… Arcadios…," Hisui said softly. The king and his right-hand man simply looked at each other, unsure of what else to say.

-o-

"Do you feel that?" a short man with wizened features asked.

"I do. But what is it, I wonder?" a well-dressed man with vampiric features wondered.

"I'm not sure - but it's…," trailed off another man who resembled a tree.

"Evil?" asked a man who had a scar across his nose and hair that fell around his face.

"No. This is beyond that," the vampiric man said.

"Zeref?" the short man inquired.

"Worse," the treelike figure answered.

-o-

Within the bright light, a flame suddenly erupted.

-o-

"What is that?!" Natsu yelled.

"Fire?" Gray asked.

"No, wait… it's taking shape. Is… is that a person?" Erza asked, surprised.

-o-

Within the bright light, a darkened figure began to emerge. All anyone could make out was a vaguely humanoid appearance. It stood in front of Strider, impassive and imposing. The figure's head began to move, aiming here and there towards people in the crowd - some of whom fainted at the sight.

-o-

"Arcadios… what is this?" the king asked his lead general.

"Your majesty… I…" Arcadios said, unable to speak further.

"The gate?" the king asked.

"No, sir. This is something far, far worse," said Arcadios.

-o-

From within the fiery light, the dark figure finally settled its gaze on Strider. Suddenly - and in a terrifying voice - it began to speak.

 _"You cannot hide,"_ it spoke slowly, drawing the words out a bit. The voice was powerful and malevolent, striking fear and terror into everyone that heard it.

 _"I see YOU!"_ it said before letting out a low growl. _"There is no life… in the void."_

-o-

"I've never felt this much power before," Mavis said. Despite her incorporeal form, she could sense the hatred and strength in the voice.

-o-

 _"Only… death,"_ it ended. As it said the final word, the memory Strider suddenly vanished. Replacing him was the Strider everyone was used to, his eyes and mouth blazing blue.

"Be gone!" Strider roared, shoving a hand into the dark figure. The figure shrieked at the touch, forcing everyone to flinch. The terrible sound quickly began to subside, however.

"YOU!" the figure shouted at Strider. Strider was impassive as he forced his hand through the body. He quickly whipped out Anglachel and cut through it. Anglachel quivered excitedly as it felt the darkness. The dark figure began to vanish as quickly as it had appeared; the dark of the memory began to subside and the sun was soon out once again. As the final wisp of the figure disappeared, it spoke so softly that only Strider could hear.

 _"Death will come to all."_

-o-

"Wha… wha… what…," Levy mumbled.

"I'm not sure," Makarov said, intently watching.

-o-

Rufus was sprawled out, eyes staring wide into the sky. Being so close to the memory, he bore the full brunt of it.

"I… I'm not sure what happened, folks, but it looks like Strider has… won the match," Chapati said meekly. The crowd slowly began to cheer, trying to forget what happened; it was of little use, however - the cheer was polite at best. Sighing, Strider went over to Rufus and held a hand to his hand, chanting softly. Rufus suddenly gasped for air before he settled into a pained breathing.

"That… that…," Rufus said.

"I know," Strider said softly.

"It… I…," Rufus said as his teammates approached the field.

"I understand. Did it speak to you?" Strider asked.

"No," Rufus said quickly. Strider nodded, thankful.

"It was a memory. No more," he said, helping him up before turning to his teammates. "Make sure he gets rest. If his condition changes, tell me at once.

"What…," Rogue began before being silenced by a look from Strider.

"Do you really want to relive it?" he asked quietly. Rogue shook his head. Slinging one of Rufus's arms over him, he and Sting quickly escorted him away. Minerva stared at Strider, curious yet feeling a slight hint of dread. Strider couldn't help but smile, slightly sardonic.

"The world is a terrifying place, Minerva," Strider said, walking back to the camp.

-o-

"Strider…," Erza began.

"Later," he said. Erza nodded as she opted to simply follow him back to the hotel with the others.

-o-

"Strider! What was that?" Makarov asked him privately as they returned to camp.

"A relic from the past, Master. The enemy, as it were," Strider sighed, opting for a whole bottle.

"That was the enemy you spoke of?" Makarov asked in surprise.

"The leader of the enemy forces, yes. Well - that was just a memory. But in essence, yes," Strider said.

"It felt so real," Mavis said softly as she sat on the bar, looking intently at him.

"His power was exceptional by any standard," Strider said.

"That figure…," Makarov said, shivering as he remembered it. He couldn't ever recall a fear so potent.

"One of the forms he had taken long ago. He had a watchful eye that presided over his lands, piercing everything. He could see slightly into the near future, as well as into lands that were still untouched. He could focus on a particular place, especially those in his realm. The body itself was destroyed long ago - but his spirit endured," Strider said darkly.

"If just his memory is that powerful…," Mavis trailed off, deep in thought. The memory was one of the most powerful and terrifying things she had ever felt.

 _'If that was the memory of a spirit, what about the person?'_ she thought. She quickly shook her head; she didn't want to think about it.

"He was much more powerful in his own time. From the stories I've heard, he carried a mace that was imbued with his hate. He had hordes at his disposal and was powerful enough that several lands submitted before he reached them. Probably thought they could escape the fighting. How wrong they were," Strider said, sighing.

"How did his spirit survive being destroyed, though? That should be impossible," Makarov said.

"He poured his hatred and malice into a powerful conduit - a ring. Until the ring was destroyed, he couldn't be," Strider said.

"Did you manage to destroy it?" Mavis asked.

"Eventually. I wasn't there to see it actually happen, but it was destroyed… at last. Two of my companions did it. Quite brave," Strider said, smiling to himself. "Unfortunately, the ring was special in that it could only be destroyed where it was forged. It took a long time to accomplish. I wasn't as powerful back then as I am now."

"Speaking of which… your shoulder…," Mavis said uncertainly.

"Ah. Yes. Still hurts," Strider said, caressing it gently. With a bitter smile, he took his bottle and headed to his room, unusually slumping.

"Let him get some rest, girls," Makarov sighed as he saw Erza and Mira watch worriedly.

-o-

Soon, the events seemed to be a distant memory to everyone. They did their best to brush off the fear they felt. Strider saw people acting more raucously in the streets below.

 _'Poor bastards,'_ he thought, finishing the bottle at last.

"Looks like they're happy again," he said aloud. Erza had just entered his room, slipping away from everyone.

"I guess you can't blame them. That was…," she trailed off.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Strider said as he slung an arm around her.

"I don't know how you fought something like that. I could barely stand listening to it," she said, bringing a hand to his cheek.

"We didn't have much of a choice," Strider said.

"Even at the Tower of Heaven - or against the Oracion Seis or Acnologia - I don't think I've ever felt that much fear," she said, uncomfortable at the thought.

"And I hope you never have to again. But remember - even when things get dark, there's always gong to be some light fighting back," Strider said, brushing some of her hair back.

"And how did _you_ manage to find the light?" she asked softly.

"Survival," Strider said. Erza sighed and nodded - the most basic instinct. She leaned forward resting her head on his chest, listening to his surprisingly calm heartbeat. Looking up, she quickly closed the distance between them once again, giving him a passionate kiss. She felt Strider's hand descend down her back before resting on her plate skirt. She was quickly embarrassed by her state of dress; this wasn't any way to go about this, she thought.

"Sorry," she said, blushing madly.

"Not at all," Strider said, restraining a laugh.

-o-

As they went downstairs, they saw that Lamia Scale and Blue Pegasus had joined the party. Seeing a tuft of blue hair just outside, Erza quickly excused herself to speak with Jellal. As the kiss went through her head, she wondered how to move ahead with it - and with Jellal.

Mavis came up alongside Strider, carefully analyzing him. Strider nodded imperceptibly; he and Mavis headed to his room.

"Was there something else you wished to discuss, Master Mavis?" he inquired of the petite blonde.

"The malevolence…," Mavis began, her mind still on the figure.

"He was vicious. His sight, hardly hindered; his power at the time, unmatched. His hatred, unrivaled," Strider said.

"And you didn't have to fight him, you said?" she asked.

"I suppose that's the most terrifying part. Never in our age. His lackeys, his armies, his generals - they were as much as we could handle. He corrupted some of our best," Strider sighed.

The two sat in silence for a long time before Strider spoke.

"Master Mavis, why'd you name the guild Fairy Tail?" Strider asked. She seemed taken aback by the question.

"I was told stories about fairies by my parents. I spent a long time searching for them," Mavis said innocently.

"Did you ever find one?" Strider asked kindly.

"No," she said sadly.

"Maybe you didn't travel far enough?" Strider asked.

"Maybe they don't exist," Mavis retorted.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Strider said with a secretive smile. Mavis's eyes went wide as she picked up on the inflection.

"What?" she asked softly.

"I wouldn't be so sure that they don't exist. It's a wide, wide world. Perhaps not here - but in my realm, we had fairies - as well as fairy-like figures," Strider said.

"You're joking," she mumbled.

"Most assuredly not," he said.

"Fairies?" Mavis asked.

"Fairies," Strider said. "There are several races in my homeland. Elves, Dwarves, Men, but Fairies are by far the most secretive. Short in stature and emanating a soft glow. Kind, gentle, and helpful - but often mischievous as well," Strider said, smiling as he saw Mavis look on with wonder.

"They glowed?" she asked excitedly.

"Oh yes. Softly, as I said - but enough to make those that caught a glimpse stop and admire them. I saw a few playing on the edge of a river once. When they noticed me, they invited me to stop and rest for a while. I took them up on the offer and we spoke for a while. They told me stories about great adventures they had seen through the ages, of the world changing around them, of time passing," Strider said fondly. "Great storytellers when they wanted to be."

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers. His usual cloak was replaced with the regal robes he had worn during the Wedding Dress contest.

"Fairy clothes?!" Mavis exclaimed, feeling the fabric.

"It is. They made it especially for me after I returned home last," Strider said. "Next time I go back, I'll be sure to have some made especially for you."

"Really?!" she asked excitedly.

"Certainly. I think you'd like it," Strider said with a chuckle. Mavis bubbled over in glee. Leaving her with her newfound thoughts, Strider changed back into his usual clothes and headed back down.

-o-

"So what did Master Mavis want?" Mira asked as Jenny had gone to get the three a drink.

"To talk about fairies," Strider said.

"Fairies?" Mira asked, surprised.

"Yup. She loves them," Strider said.

"Adorable," Mira cooed.

"So, Strider…," Jenny said as she handed him a drink and sidled close.

"Hmm?" Strider hummed.

"Mi. Ner. Va," she said, eliciting a laugh from Strider.

"I know, I know. It wasn't my fault, you know," he said.

"Of course I know that. But - did you enjoy it?" she asked, eyes narrowed.

"Hardly. I prefer to be in control," Strider whispered in her ear. Jenny turned a bright red and felt a pleasurable chill down her spine. Strider winked at Mira, who couldn't help but giggle at how her friend reacted.

"Asshole," Jenny grumbled.

"Ha. Sorry," Strider said, giving her a hug.

"Room for another lady?" Cana asked, sitting on his other side.

"Of course," Strider said, slinging an arm around her as well. "A foursome, hmm? Well, I'm game."

"Don't be a perv," Cana sighed, clinking glasses with him. "Hey, you should really get some sleep."

"I'm not that old, Cana," Strider sighed.

"No, but you did have two matches," she said worriedly - surprisingly out of character for her. Strider smiled and kissed her atop the head.

"Thank you for your concern," he said softly. Cana smiled at the touch and leaned in a bit closer, winking at Mira who grumbled.

 _'At least we'll be able to go out tomorrow night,'_ Mira thought. She'd been looking forward to their date.

"STRIDER!" Ichiya suddenly yelled, sniffing the area around Strider. "Your parfum is _intoxicating_!"

"Thank you, Sir Ichiya. Yours is much more potent if I might say," Strider said graciously.

"Great job out there today," Eve sighed, rubbing his neck.

"Hope I didn't hurt you too bad," Strider said apologetically.

"Na. Eve's walked it off," Hibiki said before taking a seat next to Mira. "Ah, Mirajane. You're looking as beautiful as ever."

"Aww, thanks, Hibiki," she said with a sweet smile. "Great job during the event a couple days ago, by the way."

As she mentioned that, Hibiki broke into tears. Ren and Eve grumbled as they tried to comfort him; his low score of 95 was a considerable blow to his ego.

"STRIDER!" Lyon suddenly shouted, rushing up to him.

"Hello, Lyon. I hope I wasn't too hard on you during our event today," Strider said pleasantly.

"This isn't over! I will challenge you to another match for Juvia!" he declared.

"If you say so, Lyon. Although, you might just want to challenge Juvia," Strider said.

"Should he try to take me from my beloved, I will drown him in his own tears," Juvia suddenly said, appearing behind Strider. She softly ran a hand through his hair, beginning to melt at the touch.

"That girl," Cana sighed.

"To be honest, however, I'm much more interested in seeing you fight Gray," Strider said.

"Ah, I'm afraid I can't pick on children," Lyon smirked. It wasn't long until he and Gray were brawling.

-o-

"Jellal, Ultear, and Meredy would like to speak to you after the Games finish," Erza said, rubbing her temples.

"About what happened?" Strider asked.

"Yes. They said it was distinctly different from Zeref, but apparently they could feel it as strongly from a distance as we could from the arena," Erza said.

"I see. The day after tomorrow, then," Strider said.

"They were hoping for tomorrow evening or night," Erza said.

"Prior engagement. So the morning after is ideal," he said.

"What're you doing?" she wondered.

"Ah, now that's for me to know," he said.

"Strider…," Erza suddenly began, resting a hand on his thigh.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"We have to talk about this soon," she said. Strider sighed, nodding.

"Right. The day after tomorrow," Strider said, rubbing his brow.

"Very well," Erza sighed. While she didn't want to wait too long, she wasn't quite sure what she would say right now.

-o-

As Strider laid down on his bed, he let out a pained groan.

"Come in," he said as heard a knock on the door. Mira entered, a worried look on her face.

"Are you okay? Really?" she asked, sitting on the edge.

"Yeah. Just… beat," he said, trying to keep his eyes open.

"The memory must've had an effect on you," she said, gently brushing some hair from his face. Strider gently took her hand in his and kissed it.

"A bit. It's a memory that I would've preferred to have left untouched," he said, gently caressing her hand.

"You don't have to think about it anymore," she said, leaning down to kiss him. She ramped up the passion, tracing his chest down to his stomach, trying to keep her hand from going any further.

"Not that I mind, but what was that for?" he asked, taking in the remnant of her taste.

"Just trying to help you make a new memory," she said with a smile.

"Well, I'm not so tired that I'm unwilling to take you up on that," Strider said, about to get up.

"Nice try," she said softly, resting her hand on his chest. "But no. Rest."

"That's cruel," he sighed.

"I think I've earned it for all the times you've teased me. Good night, Strider," she said, winking before taking her leave. Strider sighed as he watched her go; it wasn't long until he was out like a light.

-o-

Gajeel had taken Natsu and Wendy aside, whispering something to them. The three slipped out quietly, but not unnoticed. Lucy, Gray, and Erza surreptitiously followed.

"Any reason you guys followed us?" Natsu grumbled.

"We're part of your team - duh," Lucy sighed.

"Are you sure you're ok, Lucy?" Wendy asked worriedly.

"Relax, Wendy. I'm fine," Lucy said gently.

"We probably should've asked Strider to come," Carla sighed.

"He needs sleep. He was probably most affected by what happened today. There's no point waking him up," Erza said.

"Man, that was creepy," Gray sighed.

"No kidding. Kinda wanna fight whoever that was, though," Natsu said.

"Don't be foolish," Erza said, her voice sharp and biting. "If the thought of it was that powerful, the actual thing would likely be considerably worse."

"We're almost there," Gajeel said as they went through a cavernous opening. As they followed through, everyone looked on, stunned.

"Dragon bones…" Natsu whispered. All around were bones - a dragon graveyard.

"Do you think Igneel might be here?" Happy asked suddenly.

"Happy!" Carla said.

"Oops. Sorry," Happy said sadly.

"He's not here. I'd have smelled him," Natsu said seriously.

"Our dragons left just fourteen years ago. These dragon bones are a lot older. I found this place after you sent me down there," Gajeel said.

"These must be centuries old. The skin is completely stripped away," Carla said, examining them.

"What are they doing here?" Wendy asked frightfully.

"I'm not sure. Didn't even know there were dragon bones here," Gajeel said.

"That's it!" Wendy suddenly said.

"What's it?" Natsu asked.

"One of the spells Grandina gave me - Milky Way! I always thought it was a combat spell, but now that I think about it, it might not be. Everyone stand back," Wendy said. They heeded her advice as she began to draw a magic circle in the middle of the ground before kneeling in the center of it.

"I call on the wandering souls of dragons. Accept my call. Milky Way!" Wendy cried, arms towards the sky as green light erupted around her. Suddenly, something began to stir. Wendy searched for the source and then extracted what it was. Everyone took a step back as a giant green dragon had appeared before them. It let out a mighty roar that turned everyone bone white before it started laughing.

"HAHAHA! Even in death, scaring humans is hilarious!" it said, a gleeful look on its face. "My name is Zirconis, the Jade Dragon. Now, what's this? Seems like the handiwork of the Sky Dragon, Grandina. Where is she? Oh, how adorable. This little Dragon Slayer is the one who summoned me!"

"Hey! Back off!" Natsu said.

"Then, I'll just eat her. And she's only the appetizer," Zirconis said, glaring at Natsu.

"Just try it!" Natsu threatened, butting heads with Zirconis.

"Sheesh, lighten up, dummy. It'd be pretty hard to eat any of you if I can't even touch you," Zirconis said, pointing a finger at Natsu. It just phased through him, leaving no signs of damage.

"What'd you call me?" Natsu demanded, eyes narrowing.

"Of all the dragons, we get the crazy person," Lucy deadpanned.

"Dragon. It's not a person," Gray said.

"I got another idea what to call it," Gajeel grumbled.

"My name is Zirconis. They call me the Jade Dragon," Zirconis repeated.

"You already said that!" Gray exclaimed, exasperated.

"We were wondering why there are so many bones here?" Lucy asked.

"Hmph. I've nothing to say to you humans," Zirconis said, looking away.

"OK, what about cats?" Happy asked.

"It must've been 400 years ago…," Zirconis began.

"Guess he doesn't have any problem with cats," Gray interjected.

"Dragons roamed the land. We soared through the skies, the land, and the sea. Everything belonged to us - even humans. But then, a fool of a dragon appeared. He started spouting nonsense about coexistence and how we could live harmony with humans. A war broke out between the dragons that supported coexistence and others that didn't. I battled against the ones that sought coexistence," Zirconis explained.

"You fought against the humans?" Lucy asked.

"It's true, I'm not fond of your kind - unless they've been properly cooked, medium rare of course!" Zirconis laughed.

"Didn't your parents teach you not to talk to your food," Natsu said, holding a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.

"Hey, show some respect to the dead!" Zirconis shouted.

"What happened after the war began?" Carla asked, trying to get back on track.

"We were in a stalemate. The battles had already decimated the land. That's when the dragons that supported the humans thought up a plan that would doom us all. They gave them the magic to slay dragons - and finally, humans entered the war," Zirconis said.

"The first Dragon Slayers…" Lucy said.

"The humans began pushing the dragons back. Victory was almost assured for the fanatics. Unfortunately, the dragons made a mistake. You see, they had given the humans too much power. Eventually, the humans turned on the dragons that they had called friends. There was one man in particular that slew so many dragons, he turned into one himself. His skin became scales; his teeth, fangs. He became a dragon. His name still strikes fear in the heart of dragons. They called him Acnologia," Zirconis said.

"The dragon we fought on Tenrou Island… the one Strider…," Lucy said, remembering the attack again.

"The dragons you see here are the victims of that monster - the Dragon King. The war he gave birth to was known as the Dragon King Festival," Zirconis said.

Suddenly, he started disappearing.

"What's going on?" Natsu asked.

"That's all the power his spirit had left. Hopefully, now he can find some peace," Wendy said.

"I know we talked about this before… but… ARE WE GONNA TURN INTO DRAGONS TOO?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"How should I know!" Gajeel said.

"But I don't wanna!" Wendy cried.

"That is highly unlikely," said a male voice.

"Who goes there?" Natsu said sharply, preparing to attack.

"Forgive me. I took the liberty of eavesdropping. This merely confirms my suspicions," said the voice. "My name is Arcadios. I wonder, do you know about the Demons of the Books of Zeref?"

"Deliora," Gray said as Arcadios stepped into the light, followed by a young woman - Yukino.

"It is said that it was Zeref who turned Acnologia into a dragon and that only he may summon it. In other words, to beat the Black Dragon, you must defeat Zeref. And we have a plan to do just that," Arcadios smiled.

"Yukino?" Lucy asked.

"Allow me to explain. There's a certain battle plan is in the works that requires Celestial Spirits. That's where Yukino's power comes in," Arcadios said.

"What do you need with Celestial Mages?" Natsu asked.

"Follow me, so I may show you," Arcadios said, turning and walking away.

"Lucy, this also a request from me. If this plan works, we can defeat both Acnologia and Zeref," Yukino said, turning away. The others looked at each other and huddled.

"Acnologia is dead," Natsu whispered.

"They don't know that," Gray whispered.

"Master said not to tell anyone. If they need to know, they will," Carla said. The others agreed to stay quiet on the matter for the time being and followed the two.

"First, I'd like to apologize for an incident a few days ago - the one where we targeted Miss Heartfilia," Arcadios said.

"That was you?!" Natsu demanded.

"We thought we needed a Celestial Wizard urgently. The Grand Magic Games have been a cover for something else. You see, we've been collecting power from the Wizards," Arcadios continued.

"That's pretty dirty," Natsu snarled.

"It matters not what you think. It was for the sake of the plan. The Eclipse Gate," Arcadios said, leading them to a massive door.

"What is that…?" Lucy asked in awe.

"The Eclipse Gate. 12 Keys will be used to open this gate. When they open, we will travel 400 years back in time to eliminate Zeref before he became immortal. That is the Eclipse Plan," Arcadios said.

The others looked on in shock.

"Time t-travel?" Lucy stammered.

"We know that time flows differently in the Celestial World. By using their dimensional plane, we plan to send ourselves back in time to accomplish the task," Yukino said.

"We'd like to use your power to do this, Miss Heartfilia," Arcadios said.

"Stop right there!" another voice suddenly shouted. Everyone was suddenly surrounded by an army.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Arcadios demanded. He seems just as surprised as the others.

"Arcadios," came another voice, from a diminutive man - Darton, the Minister of Defense "You've leaked classified information to outsiders."

"I know you're opposed to the plan, Darton, but we need them!" Arcadios said.

"Of course I'm opposed to the plan, you fool! You're tampering with the very fabric of time!" Darton said.

"If we change the past… we also change the present," said Carla.

"Apprehend Arcadios for treachery! By extension, Miss Heartfilia and Miss Agria as well. Get rid of the others," Darton said.

"You bastard!" Natsu roared as he leaped at the Minister, about to hit him. Suddenly, he felt drained of his magic.

"Using your magic this close to the Gate will only result in it being drained from you," Darton said coldly as they walked away. "His majesty has always been very fond of Fairy Tail. If you win the Games, you may get a chance to meet him. You can persuade him to change his mind regarding your friend at that time."

"You'll pay for this!" Natsu snarled.

-o-

"WHAT?!" Makarov yelled.

"Lucy was captured by the Royal Army?" Strider asked, roused from a particularly pleasant dream.

"I don't get it, but she is apparently being treated as an accomplice," Gray said.

"So we have to win the Games to get her back?" Laxus asked.

"Who cares about that! Let's just go to the king and make him give her back!" Natsu yelled, restrained to a large post.

"We can't fight the kingdom. It's possible they're only holding her until they find a resolution," Makarov said.

"Fools," Strider snarled. "If what they say is true, it could have a devastating effect on the present."

"Why'd they let us go?" Gajeel asked.

"It would look odd if several members of Team Fairy Tail vanished just before the Final Event tomorrow," Juvia said.

"You're public figures now," Mira added.

Natsu suddenly broke free of Makarov and ran towards the door, but was crushed by Makarov's giant fist.

"Our comrade has been taken. We can't make an enemy out of the kingdom, but we will not let Lucy be resigned to her fate. That's not how we do things," Makarov said, eyes narrowed as the others nodded. They began to devise a plan; the Final Day of the Games was upon them.


	23. Grand Magic Games: Day 6 - Finale

"Hey. Getting ready for the final match?" Mira asked as she entered Strider's room. By this point, she was comfortable doing so without knocking if she thought he wasn't doing anything.

"Hey, Mira. Yup. Looking forward to putting us back on top. I just hope the king doesn't do anything foolish in the meantime," Strider sighed. "Perhaps Natsu and I should switch places?"

"I don't think that'd work. If you're not there, it'll just attract more attention. Besides, the crowd loves you, and we gotta give 'em what they want," she giggled, sitting next to him. "And I don't think the King will hurt her. It might take some explaining to get our point across, but we'll manage it for sure."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Strider asked worriedly. Mira would be accompanying Wendy, Natsu, Carla, Lily, and Happy to rescue Lucy and Yukino.

"We are. Don't worry about us," Mira said softly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"That'll be difficult," Strider sighed.

"We'll be checking in with Warren from time to time to keep you guys posted. We'll get it done, don't worry," Mira said. Strider took her hand in his, caressing it gently. They sat in silence until they heard Makarov call out for everyone to assemble in the lobby.

"I guess that's that, then. Time to show the world what Fairy Tail is made of," Strider said with a smile.

"Honestly, I think Master might care more about the reward. He might finally be able to cover all the damages Gray and Natsu cause," Mira giggled. As they were about to exit, however, Strider suddenly stopped her. Tilting her chin up, he gave her a gentle kiss. Mira blushed as she felt it. While it wasn't as furious as their first kiss, there was something different about this one… something that struck her as more romantic. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into it, pushing her body against his. As they separated she breathed heavily, taking in his scent.

"What was that for?" she whispered.

"Felt right," he said, giving her another quick kiss. "Shall we?"

"Let's," she said with a bright smile, taking his arm in hers.

As they got downstairs, they found that everyone else was gathered - apparently waiting on them.

"Are you two ready?" Mavis asked with a giggle.

"MIRA! STRIDER! WHAT WERE YOU TWO DOING?!" Juvia demanded, taking Strider's other arm.

"Relax, Juvia," Mira sighed. If and when Juvia found out, she had a feeling she'd have to forever watch her back.

-o-

"Welcome to the final event of the Grand Magic Games! Mr. Yajima and I are joined by a _very_ special guest; you know him, you love him, the face of the Grand Magic Games - MATO!" Chapati announced to the cheering crowd.

-o-

The people's reactions were explosive, clearly excited for the Final Day's event - which was likely the most anticipated of the entire tournament.

"Hey, you think Sabertooth is gonna win again?"

"No way! Strider could probably take out everyone by himself!"

"I'm hoping Mermaid Heel wins!"

-o-

"Now, the rules are very simple. Every member of each team will participate in a battle royale. Each team will select a leader. If you knock someone out, your team gets a point, but if the leader gets knocked out, the opposing team will get five points. The only catch is that no team will be able to know for sure who the other teams' leaders are beforehand. Each guild has a chance to win the Games today, though some have far more leeway than others! Now, without further ado, let's bring out the teams!" Chapati yelled as the crowd erupted once again.

"In last place, we have the team that's brimming over with testosterone! The hunting dogs turned tail chasers, led by the WILD and drunken Bacchus - QUATRO PUPPY!" Chapati announced. Quatro Puppy entered in an explosion of orange smoke. Semmes, Rocker, Novali, Jager, and Bacchus were all ready to run wild on the other guilds.

-o-

"Looks like we got a chance, fellas," Bacchus slurred. "Let's show them what we got!"

"WILD!" his teammates yelled in unison.

-o-

"In fifth place, we have the beautiful men and women of Blue Pegasus! Led by Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki! I heard a rumor not long ago that the beautiful blonde bombshell, Jenny Realight, was seen with Strider of Fairy Tail after Day One! I wonder what's going on!" Chapati said, eliciting a raucous of cheers and boos from the crowd. Blue Pegasus appeared in a haze of pink smoke and sparkles, with Ichiya leading in front and the Trimens flanking him. They blew kisses to the ladies in the crowd. Meanwhile, Jenny had subbed in for Nichiya. She smiled and waved, smirking as she remembered her nightly stroll through the city with Strider.

-o-

"The parfum of victory is potent," Ichiya said dramatically.

"Maybe you could distract Strider?" Eve suggested to Jenny, eliciting stifled laughs from his teammates. She quickly grabbed his ear and began to pull on it violently.

"What was that Eve?!" she demanded.

"Ow! Ow! Sorry, sorry!" Eve exclaimed. With a sigh, Jenny released him.

-o-

"In fourth is Lamia Scale! Can Lyon Vastia, the Ice Wizard that rivals Fairy Tail's Gray Fullbuster, bring the heat in today's battle? Or will this team get frozen in their tracks?" Chapati inquired. Under a green banner, Lyon led his team out. He was flanked by Yuka and Toby while Shelia and Jura rounded them out. Shelia egged the crowd on to cheer louder for them.

"Don't forget that he doesn't have to do it alone. There's also the adorable God Slayer, Shelia, and the Wizard Saint, Jura!" Mato added.

"I agree with Mato. They certainly have a shot at winning the games today," Yajima said.

-o-

"Eager to fight Gray?" Jura asked Lyon.

"Indeed. I wonder how else he's improved? After all, I do still have seven years over him," Lyon smirked.

"Too bad Wendy's not in the Games anymore," Shelia sighed. "But what about you, Jura? Who do you want to fight?"

"As if you need to ask," Yuka said.

"I am interested in fighting Strider again. Just as much, however, I'd be happy to try my hand at anyone on Fairy Tail," Jura said with a smile.

-o-

"Third up are the beautiful ladies of Mermaid Heel! They're one of the top teams to watch here, folks!" Chapati announced as Kagura led Millianna, Beth, Risley, and Arana to the arena. A magical rain cloud sprinkled over them. Kagura seemed to be more intense now than ever before.

-o-

 _'Erza Scarlet. She's the one who was closest to Jellal. She must know he's out by now, and likely even where he's hiding,'_ Kagura thought.

"You ready, Kagura?" Millianna asked.

"I am. Are you all?" Kagura inquired.

"Definitely," Risley grinned. "Can't wait to bring home the win."

-o-

"In second place, we have the five-time returning champions of the Grand Magic Games! Usually, they're in the top spot by now, but we've had more than a few surprises this year! Will they be relegated to second place or will they come out on top again?! Welcome to the arena - Sabertooth!" Chapati yelled to the cheering crowd. Led by Minerva, confident as always, the rest of the team followed, sure and confident.

-o-

 _'Don't worry, Lector. I'll get you back,'_ Sting thought.

"Make sure none of you hold back," Minerva said. "Be quick and efficient in how you deal with the others."

"What about Strider?" Olga asked.

"We'll leave him for last. The goal is to score as many points as quickly as we can," Minerva said.

"So long as he doesn't come after us, I've no reason to believe we won't," Rufus said, rolling his neck.

"You sure you're up for this?" Olga wondered.

"Indeed. Ready and able," Rufus said.

-o-

"And now, ladies and gentlemen - our first place team! They were once the strongest guild in all of Fiore. Can they reclaim that title today? Welcome to the arena - ERZA SCARLET…" the crowd cheered loudly for Fairy Tail's lead woman who took center stage. "…GRAY FULLBUSTER…" Lyon eyed his rival closely with a smirk as the fans cheered. "…GAJEEL REDFOX…" Rogue looked on with narrowed eyes; he wanted his shot at Gajeel. "LAXUS DREYAR…" the fans cheered again, hoping for a rendition of Laxus's fight against Raven Tail. "…and last, but certainly not least - STRIDER!"

The crowd exploded to their loudest cheer yet, chanting for their favorite wizard of the Games.

-o-

"THE THUNDER LEGION IS HERE FOR YOU, LAXUS!" Freed cheered frantically.

"KICK THEIR ASSES, GAJEEL!" Jet and Droy cheered. Gajeel grinned at them, locking eyes with Levy.

"LET'S GO ERZA! YOU CAN DO IT!" Cana and Bisca cheered.

"GRAY! SHOW 'EM HOW MAN WINS A FIGHT!" Elfman roared.

"Strider! Mira's cheering for you!" Lisanna chirped happily.

"STRIDER, STRIDER, HE'S OUR MAN! IF HE CAN'T DO IT, NO ONE CAN!" cheered Macao, Wakaba, Max, and Nab. They had prepared a banner for the team and were waving it excitedly.

-o-

"Natsu Dragneel, it seems, will not be joining the match. Looks like he might still be recovering from that fight against Sting and Rogue from Day Four! I certainly don't blame him - that was quite the fight!" Chapati said.

"Indeed, but his replacement is one of the other Wizards to beat in the Games. While we haven't seen Laxus in action as much, he only needed that one fight to make an impact. Along with Strider and Jura, I'd say he might be one of the top three to beat," Mato said.

"I certainly agree, Mato. I hope our teams have a strategy to deal with Strider, though," Chapati said.

-o-

Strider smiled at the other teams as they finally reached the center. Quatro Puppy looked at him warily while Bacchus grinned, eager to fight him again. He winked at Jenny, who blew him a kiss. As his eyes traveled to Lamia Scale, they locked with Jura's. The Wizard Saint smirked at Strider as though he knew what to expect. Strider returned the smirk with one of his own before he let his eyes trail over the teams again. When his gaze reached Mermaid Heel he gave them a warm smile before his eyes locked with Kagura's.

"Best of luck," Strider said to the swordswoman. Kagura tilted her head, surprised that he acknowledged her.

"To you as well," she said simply.

"I still haven't forgotten our wager, Minerva," Strider said as his eyes traveled to Sabertooth.

"Nor have I," Minerva sighed. "But where's your busty blonde weakling?"

"Still recovering, unfortunately," he said.

"A tragedy," Minerva sighed.

"And where's your partner? I thought all you dragon raised Dragon Slayers had an Exceed partner?" Strider asked Sting as his eyes traveled to the Sabertooth dugout. He could only identify a sad looking Frosche. He saw Sting look sideways at Minerva. "You don't go easy on your teammates either, hmm?"

"Sabertooth does not accept loss," Minerva said.

"Obviously that's not true. Two losses yesterday, by my count," Strider sneered, unusual for him. Minerva had no retort to that. "I've changed my mind. I'd rather you return Sting's friend to him."

"What?" Minerva and Sting shocked.

"I don't think Lucy would mind. She's a kind soul," Strider said, looking at Erza. The redhead smiled and nodded. "Return his Exceed. Immediately."

"How da—" Minerva began.

"This way, you'll get to keep your pride. Otherwise, I'll make sure that Lucy doesn't accept any apology short of you begging on your knees. I'm sure that'll motivate Sting to fight even harder," Strider said.

Minerva glared at him, doing her best not to show any emotion. With a heavy sigh, she pulled Lector out and tossed him at the Dragon Slayer.

"LECTOR! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Sting cried happily, hugging his friend.

"STING! Yeah! I'm fine!" Lector cried back, doing his best not to cry.

"Go ahead and meet up with Frosche, buddy. I'll see you soon," Sting said, grinning wide. Lector nodded and quickly ran off to meet with the dancing Exceed.

"I…" Sting began, looking at Strider.

"Thank Minerva for agreeing," Strider said. She was surprised that he passed it on to her but sighed.

"Thank you, M'lady," Sting said begrudgingly.

"Enough. Make sure to do well," she instructed.

"That said, the finale is about to begin. Best of luck, Strider," Jura said with a small smile.

"I look forward to seeing you out there, Jura," Strider said. The others recoiled a bit as they felt the power that radiated off the two Wizards. The crowd cheered as they felt it as well; they wanted to see another round between the two powerhouses.

"I suggest you watch your back. You never know what could be there," Minerva said.

"So I've learned the hard way," Strider sighed.

"Just make sure you go easy on me," Jenny said as she slid closer to him.

"And here I thought you might like it a bit rougher," Strider said.

"Not in front of everyone, I don't," Jenny whispered.

"I'll be gentle, then," Strider said. The two stared passionately at each other, interrupted only by a strident cough from Erza. "Ah. Right. My bad," he stated.

-o-

"This was an excellent strategy, Sixth Master," Mavis praised Makarov.

"Thank you, First Master. But it was necessary. A two-pronged attack is the best approach," Makarov said, thinking of Natsu, Mira, Wendy, and the Exceeds heading for Lucy and Yukino.

-o-

"Contestants, we have a special stage for you today: the entire city of Crocus!" Chapati exclaimed. The teams were suddenly transported to various points in the city from which they would advance on to find the others. As soon as they were in place, they began to split and divert into smaller groups to scout for opponents. Hibiki was quick at work with Archive, looking at a map that showed the magical output in a certain part of the city. Meanwhile, Rufus had taken the high ground and was scouting for movement.

-o-

"We have to make sure we win this. For Lucy," Erza said.

"Not just for her," Gajeel said.

"Gajeel's right. This is for all of our friends," Gray said.

"They had to endure seven years of pain and heartache. It's the least that we can do," Laxus said with a smile.

"Time to take care of business, then," Strider said, erupting high into the sky.

-o-

The other teams quickly got to work. Ren and Eve soon came across Arana and Beth in their search and eliminated the two quickly; meanwhile, Toby and Yuka eliminated Novali from Quatro Puppy.

"Wild," Novali said meekly as his body was transported to the Quatro Puppy dugout.

-o-

"What's this? Except for Strider, Fairy Tail hasn't moved a muscle!" Chapati said, surprised.

-o-

"What's going on?!" Makarov exclaimed.

"Why aren't they moving?" Elfman asked, just as surprised.

"I've no idea. HEY! MOVE!" Cana yelled.

-o-

As the match continued, more were eliminated.

-o-

"Oh, crap," Yuka grumbled. Toby turned to see what was up but was quickly eliminated by Kagura.

Not too far away, Millianna had easily beaten Jager and Semmes.

-o-

"Up above!" Sting shouted as he drove Bacchus's face into the ground. Rocker was the only member of Quatro Puppy still active, but he was soon taken care of by Jura, who easily knocked him out without even resorting to his Magic.

"Apologies, Goldmine," the Iron Rock Wizard mused as he searched for more prey.

-o-

Despite the movements of the other Guilds, Fairy Tail still had yet to make a move.

-o-

"Don't they know that Lucy's freedom is at stake?! Or have they forgotten!?" Makarov asked, exasperated.

"They haven't forgotten. To win, we have to remain calm. We cannot afford any significant losses, especially when so many teams can still catch up. Since the Games began, I've been analyzing the enemies magical power, their psychology, and their movement. I've memorized everything from the past five days, and so far it's all gone exactly as I calculated," Mavis said, smiling.

"What?" Makarov asked, surprised.

"I've already conveyed the plan to our team. That's how a tactician works," Mavis said, a glint in her eye. She seemed to be in her element.

"What just happened?" Levy asked aloud.

"Don't ask me, but it looks like our first master is a serious egghead," Cana said, smiling.

"Begin Operation: Fairy Stars!" Mavis exclaimed. Suddenly, Team Fairy Tail sprang into action, moving quickly to the spots Mavis assigned them.

-o-

"Fairy Tail has finally hit the streets of Crocus!" Chapati exclaimed.

"What kind of crazy play are they trying to pull?" Yajima questioned.

"Got me, but it's definitely going to be hard to rack up points this late in the game," Mato commented.

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see," Chapati said.

-o-

"Uhh… First Master?" Makarov asked.

"At this point, there's a 97% chance that Rufus will take action," Mavis said.

-o-

Standing atop the same cathedral as his first event, Rufus watched over the Games.

"I see you, Fairies. Let's see if we can't end this right now. Night of Shooting Stars!" Rufus shouted, sending out his bright lights. Immediately as he shot them, however, they began to crash around the surrounding area - except one that found a target in Laxus, who easily absorbed it.

"What?!" Rufus exclaimed.

-o-

"What just happened?" Makarov asked, startled.

"Strider. He was able to telekinetically divert Rufus's attacks - except one that was aimed at Laxus, who shares the same element as the attack. He'll now become quite agitated, causing to not think clearly. While in this state of shock and confusion there is a 68% chance that Rufus will attempt to confront our closest team member and a 32% chance he'll simply hold his current position," Mavis explained as Strider came into view. Instead of attacking Rufus, however, Strider zoomed away.

"Why didn't he attack?" Makarov asked, surprised.

-o-

 _"So Rufus can know exactly where we are?" Gray asked, surprised. If that were the case, it would explain his overwhelming victory in the first event._

 _"Yes. It's imperative we take him out first," Mavis said. "Strider, that will—"_

 _"Wait, First Master. I want to take care of Rufus," Gray said._

 _"Unfortunately, according to my calculations your chances of winning against Rufus are slim," Mavis frowned._

 _"I don't care about that! I KNOW I can beat him!" Gray exclaimed._

 _Mavis looked at Strider, Gray following her gaze._

 _"Sounds good to me. He's all yours, Gray," Strider said with a light smile that Gray returned._

 _"I'd like to add something as well, First Master," Erza said._

 _"Hmm?" Mavis wondered._

 _"There's little doubt Strider is the strongest member on our team, or in the entire of the Games. He could likely lead us to victory by himself. That said…" Erza suddenly trailed off, unsure of what to say._

 _"You'd all like to have some fun?" Strider inquired. His team nodded. "That's fine with me. There's no such thing as a one-man guild, and you've all shown me that a guild is a family. I, for one, trust my family. I've no doubt you'll lead us to victory. Besides, I imagine that you all have some scores that need settling. No doubt Laxus wants Olga."_

 _"No kidding. Seems like he'd be pretty fun," Laxus smirked._

 _"And I'd certainly like to see Kagura and Erza square off," Strider mused._

 _"As would I," Erza smiled._

 _"I see. In that case, I have a new plan that should accommodate you all," Mavis said with a happy smile._

-o-

"They're aware that Strider could win the event on his own. But this isn't about Strider; it's about all of us," Mavis said, her heart soaring to see her beloved guild so intent on winning the Games.

-o-

"No one…said anything about an ambush," Eve mumbled as Gajeel stood over him.

"Heh. Them's the breaks, kid," Gajeel said with a smirk before turning to Hibiki and Ren.

"Go! I can take him!" Ren shouted at Hibiki. That was a miscalculation; with an Iron Dragon Claw, Gajeel crushed Ren against the side of a building.

"I don't get it! Do they have someone that can out think my Archive Magic?" Hibiki asked as he fled.

"How'd you guess?" Gray asked with a grin as he appeared in an alleyway.

"NO! NOT THE FACE!" Hibiki implored him. Gray acquiesced, simply choosing to freeze him.

-o-

"It's up to me, it seems! With one fell—" Ichiya began before a powerful elbow from Jura crushed him into the ground.

"You were careless, my friend," the Wizard Saint mused as he looked for his next opponent.

-o-

"Damn it, guys! Looks like it's just me left!" Jenny moaned as she ran around Crocus. It wasn't long until she met her match. "No! Not her!"

"Hello, Jenny," Erza said with a devious glint in her eye.

"Erza!" Jenny squealed before running the other way. "Strategic withdrawal!"

She didn't get far before she ran up against something hard.

"My apologies, Jenny," Strider said as he helped her up. With Erza appearing right behind her, Jenny was sandwiched between two powerful foes.

"Ah. Now I know that you wouldn't hurt me," Jenny said, wrapping her arms around his neck. Strider raised an eyebrow at her method of attack while Erza began to turn a bright red.

-o-

"Looks like she's taking a cue out of Minerva's playbook," Mavis giggled.

"Mira won't like this," Lisanna laughed.

"RELEASE HIM AT ONCE, HUSSY!" Juvia shouted adorably at Jenny, eliciting more chuckles from the guild.

Bisca and Cana traded a glance and sighed. Neither of them was too pleased about being left out like this.

-o-

"You know I'd never hurt you, Jenny," Strider said, returning the hug before taking a step back. With a wistful sigh, he pointed behind her. "Erza, however…"

"I would be more than happy to," Erza said, knocking her out quickly.

"That said, I'm more than happy to catch you in case you fall," Strider said, holding the blonde gently.

"Thanks. Good luck," Jenny said flirtatiously, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before being teleported to the Blue Pegasus dugout.

"STRIDER!" Erza suddenly yelled.

"I swear I didn't see that coming either," Strider said.

"I'm beginning to think that you're more cunning than you let on," Erza grumbled.

"Not at all. I'm a hammer that nails all the problems," Strider said.

"That doesn't exactly help your case," Erza sighed. "Anyway, I think I know where I should head next."

"Best of luck. Careful, though. She's no joke," Strider said.

"I hope to see that for myself," Erza said, rushing off.

-o-

"It appears the rumors are true," Makarov mused, looking at Master Mavis. She had laid out the plan for them and the guild was nothing short of shocked by her brilliance. "Her excellent understanding of strategy and psychology led her to numerous victories, as well as earned her the name - The Fairy Tactician."

-o-

Strider was walking along a cobblestone road when a burst of black wind landed at his feet. He looked up and saw the young God Slayer looking defiantly at him.

"Shelia," he greeted.

"Hi, Strider!" she exclaimed. "You ready to rumble?!"

"Only if you're sure," he said, bracing himself.

"God Slayer Secret Art: Heavenly Gathering of Clouds!" Shelia shouted, sending her strongest attack at Strider. Strider held out his hand and redirected the black wind at Shelia, who barely dodged it. She landed closer to him and began to strike him fast and hard. Strider easily deflected each attack before rocketing her back. Strider waited patiently for her to get up and heal.

"Sky God Bellow!" she yelled as she closed the distance between them again. Strider cut through it, the sword stopping just short of Shelia. Reeling it back, he thrust his other hand forward and applied a powerful telekinetic burst straight to her head. Shelia felt the air pressure around her begin to shift and contort quickly, causing her a sudden and severe headache. Coupled with sharp telekinetic blows she felt on her head, it was enough to knock the young girl out. Strider waited until Chapati finally declared her out before pressing his hand to her head again. Shelia shot up, startled.

"WHAT?! WHAT HAPPENED?!" she yelled.

"You were knocked out, I'm afraid," he said apologetically.

"WHAT? HOW?!" she demanded.

"My Magic," he chuckled, eliciting a deadpan look from her. "Sorry, bad timing."

"Aww…" she pouted, looking down. Strider rested a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"There's no reason to look so glum. Your Magic is very powerful. And just like Wendy, you use it to help people when you can. There's no doubt that you're one of the better and kinder Wizards of your generation. Whenever you want a rematch, let me know," he said gently. Shelia smiled back and gave him a thumbs up.

"Thanks, Strider," she said as she was teleported back to Lamia Scale's camp.

-o-

"That was pretty sweet of him," Cana said.

"No kidding. Looks like he's good with kids, too," Bisca said, rocking Asuka.

"Mama, what's Papa doing?" Asuka asked, pointing at Strider and causing Bisca's to turn bright.

"He's… just working, sweetheart," Bisca sighed.

"Oooh! Can I go?!" Asuka asked excitedly.

"Maybe another time," Bisca said.

-o-

Strider continued his walk, looking for another opponent. The contestants were thinning out and only a few of the stronger ones remained - all of Fairy Tail, all of Sabertooth, Jura and Lyon from Lamia Scale, and Kagura and Millianna for Mermaid Heel. Fairy Tail held a dominant lead, with Strider only scoring a single point thus far.

"Me-OW, not you!" Millianna cried out as she suddenly came upon Strider.

"Hello, Millianna," Strider said pleasantly.

"Kitten Blast!" she shouted, sending a tube at Strider. He easily knocked it out of his trajectory, eliciting a whine from her. "Aww, man!"

As she retreated, Strider followed slowly. A white laser suddenly shot out at her, but Millianna managed to hop away at the last minute and right into Strider.

"Hi again," Strider said with a chuckle, extending his hand. Millianna smiled and took it as she looked back to see that Sting had appeared in front of them with Minerva at his side.

"Two on two?" Strider offered.

"How about three on one?" Sting asked Millianna.

"Eww, no! You're creepy!" Millianna shot at Sting.

"WHAT?!" Sting yelled.

"Scary," Millianna said as she retreated behind Strider.

"Easily angered as well," Strider mused.

"You were all grinning when that bitch hurt Lucy! No way I'd team up with you," Millianna said as she came out from behind Strider and stood at his side. Sting merely frowned, his eyes shifting to Minerva.

"If you don't intend to fight, then leave," Minerva said coldly as she shot an attack at Millianna. She quickly retreated, with Minerva hot on her tail.

"Just you and me, big guy," Sting said.

"That appears to be the case. Looks like we'll be able to have that match after all," Strider said. With a grin, Sting quickly pounced on Strider. Strider countered him almost immediately, grabbing his face and driving it into the ground. Shifting his hand to Sting's hair, Strider threw him at a building. With a swift flourish, the building collapsed on the Dragon Slayer. Sting wasn't down for long, blasting the rubble away with his White Dragon Roar. He then quickly re-emerged and shifted into Dragon Force. Strider was impressed with the increased speed and ferocity of the Dragon Slayer, who pounced yet again. Sting was able to get a few hits in on Strider as his speed was simply far more pronounced.

"You don't look so tough!" Sting shouted.

"Looks can be deceiving," Strider responded. Sting's body suddenly locked up. "You're certainly faster than I am, though."

"Crap! Let me go!" Sting shouted.

"If you insist," Strider said, punching him square in the gut. Sting coughed up some blood as he felt a rib crack. His body doubled over, Strider's fist still in his stomach. He slumped to the ground, wheezing as Strider went behind him.

"It's… not… over… yet…" Sting groaned between drawn out breaths. It was all he could do just to stand up. Strider soon had his arms around the Dragon Slayer's neck, applying a vicious sleeper hold. Sting struggled to escape but felt his mind continuously traveling to the pain in his stomach. His flailing lessened and lessened until finally, he stopped moving. Checking his pulse to make sure he was still alive, Strider let him go.

-o-

"And Strider has eliminated Sting from Sabertooth! Now Fairy Tail is the only team left with all of its members still active!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"Ah. Lyon. Hello," Strider greeted as he came across the Ice Make Wizard.

"Strider. Good to see you," Lyon said, sizing him up.

"Hmm… I think Gray wants to fight you, and truth be told, I'm curious to see who comes out on top in that fight," Strider said, turning away. Lyon looked on in surprise, unsure of whether he should thank his lucky stars or try and take the initiative.

"I believe Jura is looking for you," he finally said.

"Oh?" Strider asked.

"Last I saw, he was heading in the direction of two lightning attacks that way," Lyon said, nodding to the east.

"I see. Thank you. Best of luck against Gray," Strider said, heading off in the direction. He opted to walk as opposed to fly, curious of who else he might come across.

 _'Let's see… We're all still in the running. Rufus, Olga, Rogue, and Minerva as well. Millianna, Kagura, Lyon, and Jura,'_ Strider thought.

As he continued his walk, he began to hear someone fighting nearby. Making his way over, Strider felt his anger rise. Millianna was up against Minerva - and was getting the same treatment Lucy had received.

"You shouldn't have angered me, little kitten," Minerva spat as she sent the bloodied and bruised Millianna into a pole. Minerva was about to attack her again when she felt her body seize.

"Ah. You again," she said, sensing his presence.

"It seems as though you still haven't learned your lesson," Strider said as he helped Millianna up.

"Th-Thanks," Millianna said softly. She fell forward a bit but Strider managed to catch her.

"It's no trouble. Why don't you take a walk, yeah? Looks like you could use it," Strider said gently. Millianna was about to protest but sighed. She slumped off towards a large structure where one could hear the clashing of steel.

"It's rude to interrupt a fight," Minerva said coolly as she regained control of her body. She sent an attack at Strider which he telekinetically blocked. Rolling his neck, Strider's eyes and mouth began to blaze blue, and as he turned to her, Minerva felt a certain sense of dread.

"Fall," Strider whispered. Minerva's body suddenly collapsed onto the ground, cratering it. She felt as though the pressure of the world was atop her, hardly allowing her time to breathe. And as quick as it came, it was gone. Slowly, she made her way to her feet again. However, Strider offered her no quarter; as soon as she was up, he whipped her back. Minerva quickly used her magic to teleport herself to the middle of the courtyard. Just as quickly, Strider was upon her again, using telekinesis to blast the air around her and buffet her back and forth. Minerva got a feeling of what she had done to Lucy. She was now just as helpless and bruised as the blonde was during Day Four's event.

"I won't go down that easily," Minerva said as Strider finally stopped and gave her a moment's rest.

"I certainly hope not," Strider said viciously. He blocked some more attacks that Minerva sent at him, and with each block, her attacks became more and more wild. "Is that all you've got?"

"SILENCE!" she roared, sending another powerful attack his way. The explosion buffeted him back a few inches and sent up a mass of dust. Strider scoffed as he saw her plan of attack; she wanted to blind him and get in close. He saw her flying at him through the dust and quickly countered, driving her into the ground with a free hand.

"You're losing it," Strider scolded her. "What your father must think of you."

"How da-dare you," Minerva snarled as she tried to get up. Strider simply drove her back into the ground, however.

"A scared little girl. What are you trying to do, I wonder? Are you trying to surpass him? Or are you merely trying to impress him?" Strider wondered, pressing a hand to her head. "Or… perhaps I could just have you tell me?"

"What?" Minerva asked, surprised.

"So curious… mmm… no. Not yet, at least. For now, we'll leave this here," Strider said. He forced Minerva to look directly at him as he drew himself to full height. Making a gun with his fingers, he shot a telekinetic burst straight at her; the pressure was enough to knock her out cold. Satisfied, he continued his search.

-o-

"Minerva Orland is out, folks! Not a surprise as Strider dominated yesterday's event against her!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"Bastard…" Jiemma snarled. Strider had shown up the guild Jiemma had spent years bringing to the top in just a few short days, and he wouldn't let that go without a fight.

-o-

Strider passed by the library on his way to Olga and Laxus. He figured Jura would be just as interested in meeting the two lightning wizards. He paused as he heard the sound of battle die out, to be replaced by Gray's voice.

Melding into the shadows, he saw that Gray was fighting Rufus. The Memory Make Wizard was crushing Gray underneath his Gravity as Strider watched in intrigue.

 _'Gray's the one who wanted this. Hope he didn't bite off more than he could chew, though. Rufus is strong,'_ Strider thought.

Rufus was grinning madly as he crushed Gray under the gravity. His smile soon flipped as Gray slowly but surely got up. Strider smiled as his teammate's power and intensity began to shine through.

"Alright… no more games!" Gray shouted, finally on his feet. His knees wobbled slightly, but he was otherwise standing tall.

"THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE! You should be crushed right now!" Rufus said, his mind buzzing.

"I admit, Memory-Make Magic is pretty amazing. But… there's something you didn't account for," Gray said.

"Oh? And what's that?" Rufus asked.

" _My_ memories. I remember every fight that I've ever won or lost. I remember all the pain that I've been through by myself and with my friends. It's those memories that keep me going," Gray said, bringing his hands back to his signature position.

"Go ahead. I've memorized it," Rufus said, bringing two fingers to his right temple.

"Ice Make… INFINITE MAGIC!" Gray roared. A flurry of wild attacks and figures began to surge out of Gray's attack. His Magic began to take on forms he had never used before, and far to many forms for Rufus to take in in such a short while.

"But that's impossible!" Rufus screamed. His moment of impotence was all Gray needed.

"ICE BRINGER!" Gray yelled as he hit Rufus full force. The attack was enough as Rufus was on his back and knocked out, his mouth open in shock. As his hat flew off his head, Gray caught it and took it as a symbol of his victory. The crowd cheered for Gray, and Fairy Tail was absolutely uproarious in their applause.

Suddenly, Gray heard a clapping. He turned around and looked up to see Strider. He grinned and gave mock bowed to his friend.

"How long have you been there?" Gray asked as Strider jumped down.

"Long enough. That has to be one of the greatest displays of Magic I've ever seen. You might've edged past Natsu there," Strider said encouragingly.

"Ha. As if I didn't do that a long time ago!" Gray said smugly.

"I ran into Lyon and told him you'd be looking for him. He's not too far from here. Give him hell," Strider said, pointing Gray in the right direction. With a thumbs up, Gray ran to fight his friend and rival.

-o-

Strider finally reached Laxus and Olga. They were both standing and staring at each other with smiles; the buildings behind them were demolished as a result of their tests of power. A pair of footsteps broke the monotony.

"At last, I've found some capable warriors," Jura said as he calmly walked up to them.

"Wizard Saint Jura," Olga said. He remembered that Jura had demolished his score on the third day.

"So the monster shows himself," Laxus said with a smirk. Olga was about to speak again when they heard another pair of footsteps.

"Strider. Joining the party?" Laxus asked his teammate.

"You know it," Strider said, a mad gleam in his eyes as they darted between Jura and Olga.

-o-

"AMAZING, FOLKS! WE HAVE FOUR - COUNT 'EM, FOUR - POWERHOUSES IN ONE SPOT! THIS SHOULD BE EXCITING!" Chapati roared. The crowd roared with thunderous applause that the four could feel all the way in the city.

-o-

"Strider, Laxus, Jura, and Olga," Cana mused. "This should be fun."

"What's wrong, Master? You look worried," Lisanna said.

"I hope Laxus and Strider don't destroy the city," Makarov groaned.

-o-

"So, how should we play this?" Jura wondered.

"Laxus?" Strider deferred.

"I wanna see just how strong his Black Lightning is," Laxus said, looking at Olga.

"Then it looks like it's time for our rematch, Jura," Strider said.

"Indeed. No holding back this time," Jura said.

Jura waved off all pretense. He launched himself directly at Strider with thunderous force. Strider followed the action. As both men collided in mid-air, the resulting shockwave demolished the block. Laxus and Olga were both startled by the fight. Jura and Strider had seemingly forgotten they could even use Magic. Each punch and kick was heard and felt throughout the city.

 _'Good thing our first match wasn't a fistfight. He would've crushed me,'_ Strider thought. He knew that his Telekinesis was the most formidable Magic during the Games, but when it came to hand to hand combat, Strider was far outclassed by several of the wizards there - most prominently Jura. Without the aid of telekinesis, his punches and kicks would've been as ineffective as a normal person's. Jura simply had more weight behind his own physical attacks; whereas Strider's blows would've just glanced off.

-o-

"I don't believe it, folks! They've decided not to use magic and are settling this match in a good old fashioned fistfight! It looks like Jura has the advantage there, though!" Chapati yelled.

-o-

"Jura's getting some really good hits on him," Macao said, surprised.

"Strider's strength lies in his Magic, swordsmanship, and sheer will. Physically, however, he's just as effective as a normal fighter would be," Mavis said.

"Does that mean Jura might win like this?" Bisca asked.

"It's possible. Jura is larger than Strider and has conditioned to be as strong as a rock. His strikes simply have more power behind them. That said, this isn't a fistfight. In the end, I believe Magic is what will determine the winner," Mavis said.

-o-

Finally, Strider used his Magic to blow Jura back. He pressed his advantage as they continued their fight through the air. It wasn't long until they both ended up back in Domus Flau, in the arena.

-o-

"Our fighters are back in the arena, folks!" Chapati exclaimed. Strider and Jura continued their attacks on each other at full force. The people could feel the shockwaves their impacts caused; each sent a thump through the stadium.

-o-

"I haven't felt this alive in years!" Jura yelled, getting a few hits in on Strider's chest. Strider winced but soon blocked a punch and began laying into Jura. He let up for a fraction of a second and swung around Jura, grabbing him around the waist. With a telekinetically propelled German Suplex, he sent Jura flying past one of the statues around Domus Flau. Strider took to the air again, this time connecting with Jura as they cratered atop a platform where Erza was locking swords with Kagura. As Jura got up, neither seemed to notice the swordswomen. They were solely focused on their opponent.

Jura launched himself at Strider, this time using a bit of Magic to propel himself forward. They fell off the platform on which they were fighting and started to spiral down. Suddenly, Strider grabbed Jura's face. Jura looked on in surprise, but smiled a bit, knowing what was going to happen. With a sickening thud and crunch, Strider telekinetically drove Jura into the concrete below, being careful not fatally injure the man. When the dust cleared, Strider stood triumphant over the Wizard Saint, who had a smile plastered on his face.

-o-

"Ladies and gentlemen, Strider - again - has beaten the Wizard Saint, Jura!" Chapati exclaimed.

-o-

"Until next time," Strider said as Jura's body teleported away. He levitated back to the top of the platform to get a good look at the city and what was going on. As he heard the clangs behind him, he looked on to see Kagura and Erza duking it out, with Millianna spectating.

"When did you three get here?" Strider asked Millianna, who yelped a bit and landed a tube on him. Strider chuckled as it glanced off. Millianna was still a bit weak from her bout with Minerva.

"We've BEEN here. You and Jura are the ones who appeared out of nowhere," Millianna grumbled.

"Ah. Apologies," Strider said. "So looks like Olga and Rogue are still in play."

"WHAT?! SO KAGURA AND I ARE THE ONLY ONES LEFT FROM?!" Millianna asked in shock.

"And Lyon, I think," Strider said.

"Ugh…" Millianna grumbled. "You guys already won. Why isn't the event over?"

"Looks like we're playing until the last man or team is standing," Strider said. "Care to try your hand at me?"

"No thanks. I'm just waiting for Erzy or Kagura to finish," she said.

"Alright then. Well, I certainly don't want to get between these two," Strider said.

"Aren't you swordsman?" Millianna asked.

"I am, but not as fast as Kagura or Erza are. You can barely even see them attack," Strider said, slightly dumbfounded. Kagura and Erza were both a blur as their swords clash against each other. Neither relented, and Strider had a feeling that if he walked between them, his telekinesis would barely be enough to stop him from being sliced into hundreds of pieces. Taking to the sky, Strider headed towards a burst of shadow from a nearby walkway. Getting closer, he saw Gajeel and Rogue locked in battle. To his surprise, however, Rogue seemed different. The young Dragon Slayer had Gajeel by the throat, threatening to crush it. As Gajeel saw Strider, however, he stopped him from interfering.

"NO! He's mine!" Gajeel barked. Strider nodded, levitating out of sight, but remaining close by.

Rogue threw Gajeel to the ground and loomed over him. "You can't beat me," he said in a distorted voice.

"Heh. If Salamander can do it, so can I," Gajeel said, grinning. He opened his mouth and started to consume the shadows around him.

"WHAT?!" Rogue yelled, shocked.

-o-

"He's eating the shadows!" Levy exclaimed.

-o-

Gajeel slowly got up as his figure changed. His entire body was covered in metal, but he was exuding a shadowy aura. He had a wild grin on his face as he advanced towards Rogue, who prepared to block his attack. Suddenly, Gajeel disappeared and attacked Rogue from behind.

"An Iron Shadow Dragon?!" Rogue cried in shock.

-o-

"LIKE A BOSS," Jet said as Droy cheered. Levy was just as happy, if not more.

-o-

Rogue melted into the shadow as he tried to escape. Like a predator tracking its prey, Gajeel quickly followed.

-o-

"Now we gotta watch two shadows fight?" Bixlow asked, grinning. "Man, this keeps getting better and better!"

"Bixlow, can you make out who is who?" Freed asked.

"I'm not sure," Bixlow said, taking his helmet off to get a better look. "But Gajeel is the faster one… I think."

"You think?" Evergreen asked worriedly.

-o-

Suddenly, a hand extended out from the shadow and dipped into the neighboring one. Gajeel began to pull Rogue out.

-o-

From the sidelines, Strider watched on in interest.

 _'Now that's impressive. To bad Talion couldn't show me that,'_ he thought with a smile.

-o-

 _'He's pulling me out from my shadow? But how?'_ Rogue thought. He didn't have time to think about anything else as Gajeel threw him into the air.

"SAY GOODNIGHT! IRON SHADOW DRAGON ROAR!" Gajeel yelled as a vicious blast hit Rogue full force. Strider saw something circle Rogue as the Dragon Slayer collapsed back on the ground.

Gajeel had reverted back to his original self. Suddenly, he saw the shadow coming out from Rogue. He saw a shadow begin to exit Rogue.

"Ha. Looks like you're not quite there yet, kid. Don't worry. I'll make a man of you yet," the shadow said as it began to slink away. Strider suddenly stomped on the shadow, stopping it for a moment.

"A shade?" Strider asked softly.

"Ah. The Telekinetic Wizard. I've been watching you," the shadow said quietly. "Shadow. Not shade."

"What are you doing here?" Strider asked.

"As if I'd tell you. Your Magic won't work me, and you know this. I'm afraid I've no more time to spare. Until next time," it said, slinking away.

"What the hell was that?" Gajeel asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. It seemed to be Rogue's shadow, but it split apart from him. Hmm…" Strider hummed.

-o-

"Master Mavis, have you ever seen anything like that?" Makarov asked, worried.

"Never. It's a shadow… but it seems malevolent," Mavis said, just as worried.

-o-

"Please, stop," a small voice suddenly pleaded from behind Strider and Gajeel. They turned and saw Frosche, arms outstretched and crying, protecting Rogue from more harm. "He's hurt really bad. Please don't kill him."

Gajeel sat in front of Rogue; taking on that new shadow form had really taken a lot out of him.

"Don't worry. The match is over, and that's not my style," Gajeel said.

Strider knelt closer to Frosche.

"You're Frosche, right?" he asked gently. Frosche nodded. "That's very brave of you, standing up for your friend."

"My best friend," Frosche said.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like to make sure he's alright," Strider said.

"Don't hurt him," Frosche implored.

"I promise I won't," Strider said. Frosche nodded as he let Strider pass.

Strider put his hand on Rogue's head and whispered something. With a sharp intake of breath, Rogue woke up.

"Rogue! You're okay!" Frosche cried as he went over to his friend.

"Frosche. Of course, I am," Rogue said, smiling and rubbing his friend's head as Frosche cried.

"I was so worried," Frosche said.

"What happened?" Rogue said. Then it dawned on him. "I lost."

"Strider?" Rogue continued, looking at the man next to him. Strider smiled kindly at Rogue.

"Tell me, Rogue. What do you remember?" Strider asked.

"Gajeel…" Rogue said. Strider waved his hand at Gajeel who nodded at Rogue.

"Did something talk to you?" Strider asked.

"What… wait… no, it's coming back. My shadow," Rogue said fearfully as he looked at his shadow. To his surprise, there was nothing there. "It's…"

"Yes, it escaped. I'm afraid I'm not certain how to deal with them effectively. Some are possessive, but this one seems more… protective," Strider said.

"I see. Looks like Gajeel separated me from it with his attack," Rogue said, trying to move. His body refused to listen, however. He simply whispered a quick thanks to Gajeel.

"Rest up. It's almost done," Strider said, clapping Gajeel on the shoulder. He erupted through the ceiling, causing a massive boulder to fall near Rogue, who clenched.

"Does he need to break something whenever he leaves?" Rogue asked exasperatedly. Gajeel simply chuckled as he rested against the wall, taking a moment to recover.

-o-

 _'Anything from Mira or the others?'_ Strider asked Warren.

 _'Nothing. Something seems to be blocking my telepathy,'_ Warren said.

 _'Blocking it? Really?'_ Strider asked, surprised and worried.

 _'Yeah. I'm gonna keep trying, though,'_ Warren said.

 _'Alright,'_ Strider said.

-o-

Going around the city, Strider saw that Laxus had the upper hand on Olga, Lyon and Gray were both evenly matched if not a bit tired, and both Kagura and Erza were going at it with renewed intensity.

"Boo," Strider said as he crept up behind Millianna, who shrieked in terror.

"JERK! KITTEN BLAST!" Millianna yelled, trying to catch him off guard. The attack wrapped around his arm, surprising her. Strider pulled the tube towards him and Millianna crashed against him, falling back.

"Ugh…" she groaned, getting up.

"They're still going at it, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Who do think is gonna win?" she asked.

"It's difficult to say. Both are amazingly skilled," Strider said. "I can't think of anyone that could last this long against either of them. They're made for each other."

"No kidding. But wait - why aren't you fighting?" she asked.

"Well, the only ones left besides you are taken," Strider said.

"Lucky me," Millianna grumbled.

"You've made it this far. I'd say that takes a fair amount of skill," Strider said encouragingly.

"Now you're just trying not to hurt my feelings," Millianna sighed.

"I mean it. I believe Erza's told me a bit about you. You're certainly powerful - of that, I'm sure," Strider said.

"Oh? What did she tell you?" Millianna wondered, intrigued.

"Most of what happened at the Tower of Heaven," Strider said. As he saw the color drain from her face, he scolded himself. "Ah. Forgive me. That was… tactless."

"What did she say about it?" Millianna asked quietly.

"Enough," Strider said. "It sounded terrible, that much is certain. What you and your friends went through was… horrifying."

"Jellal…" Millianna growled. Strider looked on in worry as he saw the tears forming in her eyes.

"Calm down," he whispered.

"Don't tell me to calm down!" she shouted at him. The outburst drew Erza and Kagura's attention. They looked at their friend, worry evident in their eyes.

"After what he did to us… to me. Erza. Kagura!" Millianna yelled. "When I get my hands on him…"

"Millianna…" Erza said softly. It was tearing her up inside, being unable to tell her old friend that Jellal was so close by. She exchanged a glance with Strider, who sighed and rested a comforting hand on Millianna's shoulder.

"There'll be time for that later," he said gently. "Right now, you've other things to focus on."

"That's the only thing I've been focused on for the last seven years," Millianna said. "That's what Kagura's been training me for!"

Strider looked surprisedly at Kagura, who stood upright as she looked at him and Erza.

"You know him as well as I do," Kagura whispered to Erza.

"What?" Erza asked.

"Jellal murdered Simon. He murdered my big brother," Kagura said. Erza's eyes widened. This was news to her. Millianna looked away angrily, while Strider looked on slightly confused. He recalled hearing the name before, but couldn't place it entirely.

"You're… Simon's younger sister?" Erza asked weakly.

"I am. I also know how close you were with him," Kagura said.

"He saved me," Erza said, feeling tears beginning to form in her eyes. "But you're wrong."

"What?" Kagura asked, surprised.

"Simon didn't die because of Jellal. He died because of me," Erza said flatly.

Strider looked on in surprise as Kagura suddenly began to draw her sword from its scabbard. Not knowing what to expect, he was shocked when a sudden flash of white light blinded him. He heard a clang, an explosion, and a rumble that shook the platform. As it died down, he was shocked at the damage; the drawing of the blade had cut a sizable portion of the platform behind Erza. She, however, stood strong; her sword was locked with Kagura's, who had a wild look on her face.

"I'm alive because of Simon," Erza said softly. "I'm alive today because of him and Grandpa Rob. And that's why I can't let you end me like that."

"I'll kill you and Jellal," Kagura snarled, locking into a furious battle with her again.

Strider and Millianna looked on worriedly at the ferocity her attacks. Erza, however, kept up.

"Simon's little sister…" Erza said softly.

"What?" Kagura asked, surprised.

"Rosemary Village," Erza said.

"How do you know that place?" Kagura demanded.

"I'm from there too," Erza said with a soft smile. "So was Simon. I remember the attack by the Cult of Zeref. How they killed all the adults in the village and began to take the children. I… I remember running with a little girl."

As a look of realization dawned on Kagura, she felt her eyes began to water. It was a vivid memory for her; someone a bit older than her took her hand and ran her through the village. She wasn't able to get a good look at them, beyond their scarlet hair.

"I… I hid her in a wicker basket from the cult. Before I could find a place to hide though, the Cult had grabbed me. I never learned what happened to her. Until now," Erza said. She stopped fighting, letting the blade drop. Kagura barely stopped herself from accidentally cleaving through Erza.

"Kagura…" Millianna began in worry as her blade dropped. Tears were streaming down Kagura's eyes as a look of realization dawned on her: Erza was her savior.

"Simon talked about his little sister at the Tower," Erza reminisced, her lips trembling. "I remembered her too but didn't know her name. I had hoped she made it out alive… and she had. I'm so thankful."

"So… Erza and Kagura… were friends or something?" Millianna asked in shock. While she knew that Kagura was Simon's little sister, she didn't know that Erza had saved her prior. Strider, meanwhile, watched the scene unfold impassively.

Suddenly, Erza pulled Kagura in for a hug. The ebony haired swordswoman was surprised, her face tear-stained, but she slowly returned the hug. It was a tender moment despite the catastrophe around them.

"I'm so happy you're safe," Erza said as tears began to fall from her eyes as well. With a sigh, Strider quietly took his leave.

-o-

Strider flew close to Olga and Laxus, observing their form.

Laxus seemed to be winning, but Olga was no slouch. Both were locked in a test of wills to see whose lightning was strongest. Suddenly, Laxus kicked it into overdrive. With a sudden burst of great force, he lurched forward and his lightning followed as it tore through Olga's black lightning. Both finally relented as Laxus came out of the explosion and with a hard right, finally managing to knock Olga out. Olga was seeing stars as Laxus got back up to his feet, breathing heavily. He heard clapping from above him and saw Strider, smiling at the turn of events. He gave him a thumbs up before sitting down to find his bearings.

-o-

He took to the air, back to Lyon and Gray who, at this point were both out of magic and were slugging it out.

"For Juvia!" Lyon yelled as he punched Gray.

"WHAT?" Gray said as he punched back.

"My beloved!" Lyon said with another hit.

"Pretty sure she's into _him_ ," Gray pointed at Strider.

"A minor roadblock on the highway of our love," Lyon said as he hit Gray again.

Strider chuckled at the love triangle plus the unwittingly involved Gray that was playing out before him.

 _'Warren, what's Juvia's reaction to all this?'_ Strider asked, laughing.

 _'Oh man, you gotta see her face. I can't tell if she's loving this or is completely terrified,'_ Warren said as he laughed back.

Finally, Gray got the last punch in. With a mighty ice covered right, he knocked Lyon out cold. Lyon fell crying out " _Juviaaaaa_ " before his eyes began to swirl and he teleported back to Lamia Scale.

-o-

Ooba began to spin herself as all her fighters were knocked out; the crowd simply cheered for Gray.

-o-

"He's out!" Gray exclaimed with a grin.

"Excellent. Laxus has taken care of Olga as well. Just Millianna and Kagura left, but I think we should let Erza handle then," Strider said.

"Right. Any word on the others, though?" Gray asked.

"No. It's starting to worry me. As soon as the event ends, we need to find out what's going on, even if that means interrogating the king," Strider said.

"Not sure the king would appreciate that," Laxus said as he came up behind him.

"Fortunately, we don't need his appreciation, only his cooperation," Strider said.

-o-

"So what now?" Millianna asked as she joined her friends.

"I'm not sure," Erza sighed. "However, I don't wish to finish this fight. At least not right now, right here."

"Kagura?" Millianna asked softly. Kagura looked at her and Erza before sighing. Taking a look at the scoreboard, there wasn't any way for them to catch up.

"I forfeit this event," Kagura said flatly.

-o-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, KAGURA HAS JUST FORFEITED THIS MATCH! MILLIANNA IS—"

-o-

"I forfeit as well," Millianna sighed. She put Kagura's arm around her and held her up.

-o-

"IT'S OVER, FOLKS! THE FINAL DAT'S EVENT IS OVER! FAIRY TAIL HAS WON! AND WITH ALL OF THEIR TEAM STILL IN PLAY! I DON'T BELIEVE IT - IT'S A TOTAL BLOWOUT!" Chapati yelled. Like thunder, the crowd boomed in excitement. Fairy Tail cheered their loudest yet, firing off their Magic into the sky.

-o-

Day had turned into night. The team had gathered near a fountain, reveling in their victory. Unharmed for the most part, Strider helped tend to them as best he could.

"For a guy who fought in a war, your medicinal skills could use some work," Gray mumbled.

"I could paralyze you. That way, you wouldn't feel any pain," Strider offered menacingly.

"Ah… I mean thanks, buddy," Gray said.

"Not at all, _buddy_ ," Strider said, clapping Gray hard on the back. The Ice Wizard groaned in pain while his teammates laughed.

"You all were really something out there. I'm beyond impressed," Strider said, massaging Erza's shoulders. She bit her lip pleasurably at the touch, hoping to pick it up after they found Mira, Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, and the Exceeds.

"Back on top," Laxus said.

"Did any of you see the signal flare?" Erza asked.

"I've been keeping an eye out for it. What about telepathy?" Laxus asked. Strider shook his head.

"No doubt we'll find out soon enough," Strider said, as the five were teleported back to the Fairy Tail camp.

-o-

"Fairy Tail is super cool," Frosche said as he did an adorable dance.

"Yeah, they are," Rogue agreed, smiling. Despite how it turned out, he was happy for their victory.

"Heh. They definitely deserved it," Sting said, smiling as he ruffled the fur on Lector's head, who agreed. While Rufus and Olga tended to their wounded pride, Minerva was grating her teeth.

' _Strider_ ,' she thought angrily.

-o-

"What an amazing match, folks! This is certainly one for the history books, eh Mato?" Chapati asked. He turned and saw Mato was no longer there.

-o-

"Wizards of Fiore, I ask you all to please assemble it the Crocus Gardens! His Majesty, Toma E. Fiore wishes to address you all!" a voice suddenly called out.

Slowly, the members of every Wizards Guild in present in Crocus began to make their way to the gathering point, curious as to the nature of the request.

-o-

Meanwhile, within the castle, Mercurius, the rescue team had managed to find Lucy and Yukino, and, with some complications along the way, were able to make their way to their current location.

"YOU!" Natsu roared at an unknown man standing in front of him. A new addition to their team was on the ground and bleeding, dead.

"IT'S FOR THE GOOD OF THE WORLD," the man yelled back.

"You guys go! I'll take care of him," Natsu yelled as he attacked the man.

"We need to get help and let the others know what's happening," Wendy said as she ran off with the Exceeds and Lucy.

-o-

"If what he said is true," Mira said worriedly.

"Dragons… 10,000 dragons," Wendy shivered.

"I have a hard time believing him," Carla said defiantly. "What he's told us makes no sense! Acnologia is dead, after all!"

"That's right! How's he gonna control him?!" Happy asked.

"He might be from a different future where Acnologia survived. Time travel is complex, but we know it's not impossible. Remember Edolas?" Mira asked.

"But that was a different dimension!" Lily exclaimed.

"It's not that different, I think. All I know is we need to stop whatever they have planned," Mira said.

"Something doesn't feel right, though," Wendy frowned.

"The dragon thing?" Mira asked.

"No. It's… it's something else," Wendy said, shivering.

"Let's hurry a bit faster, Wendy," Mira said, kicking herself into overdrive.

-o-

The guilds were murmuring to each other, wondering why the king had called them here.

"A party maybe?" Hibiki suggested.

"Doubt. Why'd we be outside, then?" Eve asked.

"Where's Jenny?" Ren wondered, looking around.

"Over there," Eve sighed. Jenny had her arms wrapped around Strider and was snuggling close, much to the chagrin of Erza, Bisca, Juvia, and Cana. Soon, a booming voice quieted them.

"Thank you all for assembling. I have called you all here because the kingdom faces a grave threat. We have learned that 10,000 dragons are descending upon us. Wizards! I require your assistance!" the king said gravely.

No one spoke a word as jaws dropped.

Strider felt his heart drop. At his side, Anglachel was rattling excitedly. The sword could sense that bloodshed was near. Its thirst would soon be quenched.


	24. Peacemaker

"Excuse me, your majesty - but what exactly do you mean by that?" Strider asked, surprised.

 _'The old man must be going senile. 10,000 dragons are coming? And nobody has felt their presence?'_ Strider thought, his eyes narrowed.

"Just that, young man. 10,000 dragons _will_ be attacking Crocus tonight. We have a large-scale counteroffensive in place that will defeat most of them, but we imagine that, at most, a few hundred may survive," the king said solemnly.

"That's not what I meant. You're telling me that 10,000 dragons - the huge, scaly, flying things - will attack Crocus tonight. Not only that, but they're flying here this very instant, and yet no one has felt a thing? It's almost impossible to not notice a single dragon; if it were 10,000 I assure you we would've found out a long time ago. They aren't easy creatures to miss, your majesty," Strider said.

"The king is far better appraised of this situation than you are!" a guard scolded Strider. He shut up immediately when Strider gave him a dangerous look.

"Where are they supposed to be coming from?" Strider asked the king. The king point behind him. Everyone turned to see what it was - nothing.

"Very well. I'll be back in a bit, Master," Strider said to Makarov. Mavis and Makarov nodded; someone would have to scope it out. With a tremendous force, Strider rocketed towards the direction of where the dragons were supposed to be coming from.

"Woah, woah, woah! If there really are dragons coming, isn't it dangerous for him to go alone?!" Novali yelled.

-o-

 _'Warren, keep a channel open between the others and I. Something isn't right here. Either the king is lying, is being lied to, or something completely different is going on,'_ Strider thought.

 _'Agreed. Will do,'_ Warren said, relaying the message to everyone in Fairy Tail.

-o-

"The last time we fought a Dragon, we were gone for seven years. Even Strider had a hard time beating him," Cana said worriedly.

"That was a special case… but still," Lisanna said fearfully.

"We can't take on an entire horde of dragons. Other than Strider, I don't think anyone here has ever even killed a dragon. Hell, we saw what happened to Gildarts," Evergreen gulped. Fear was in the air, and it was so palpable that you could cut it with a knife.

"I understand that Strider doesn't want to believe me. I'm sure no one here does, but I assure you that dragons are coming," Toma said gravely.

"He's right, though. How come we haven't had any reports? Hasn't anyone thought to look up at the sky just to make sure?" Bisca asked. The king had no answer; besides the fact that 10,000 dragons were headed towards Crocus, he had little else to share.

"I'm certain that the king wouldn't lie to us for fun. If he says that 10,000 dragons are coming, then we can at the very least be sure that _something_ is coming," Makarov said. Jura and the Masters of the guilds nodded in agreement.

"I ask you, Wizards - please don't let this kingdom fall into ruin! Please, fight for a brighter future!" Toma asked, bowing low to them. The crowd was stunned to see the king defer. There was a pregnant pause before agreement began to run through the crowd.

"You can count on us, your majesty. Whatever may come, we shall fight it!" Makarov declared. He was just as suspicious about the ordeal as Strider, but if it was even a single or a handful of dragons, they'd need everything they had.

"We'd be glad to help," Elfman agreed, hoping mightily against any dragon setting foot in the beautiful city.

"What do you say, boys?! Ready to get WILD?!" Bacchus asked his guildmates. They resounded with a thunderous WILD; bravado overcame sense for the moment.

"We certainly can't let ourselves be beaten by reptiles," Lyon said. His team cheered in response, although none had any idea of what to expect.

-o-

 _'Still nothing, and I'm tens of miles out. I would've seen or sensed or felt them by now,'_ Strider said to Makarov.

 _'What do you think this means?'_ Makarov inquired.

 _'I'm not sure, Master. I'm going to do one more large sweep. Keep me posted by the second,'_ Strider replied.

-o-

"We're in!" Millianna responded for Mermaid Heel.

"Dragons, though. You think that's for real?" Risley asked.

"I imagine that we'll find out soon enough," Kagura said.

"This kingdom has always been good to us Wizards," Sting said with a smile.

"It's our duty to protect it," Rogue said. "We are Dragon Slayers, after all."

"Thank you, Wizards…" the king said, tearing up.

"No need to cry, your majesty," Erza said kindly before turning to a soldier. "The Royal Army has some of our allies."

"They're safe. I'm told they joined Princess Hisui at the Gate," the soldier said.

"FINALLY! Time for some more fighting!" Gajeel roared excitedly.

"You realize what we're up against, right?" Levy asked lamely.

"Time for us Dragon Slayers to shine," Sting said with a grin.

"Those flying lizards can't beat us!" Lector declared.

"I'll cheer for both of you, 'kay?" Frosche chirped adorably.

"Where's M'lady?" Rufus asked.

"Think I saw her yelling at the old man. Hope she's still around," Olga said.

"All the guilds, working together at last," Ichiya said.

"Such a wonderful parfum," Nichiya agreed.

-o-

 _'Mira, can you hear me?'_ Strider asked.

 _'Strider! Dragons are going to attack!'_ Mira replied.

 _'I know. The kings told us. Thank goodness you're safe,'_ Strider said.

 _'Where are you?'_ Mira asked.

 _'Looking for them,'_ Strider said.

 _'What?! Why?!'_ Mira mentally cried, terrified for him.

 _'Something's off. I haven't been able to sense them yet,'_ Strider stated.

 _'What?'_ Mira asked, surprised. No one just missed 10,000 dragons

-o-

 _'100 miles radius sweep, nothing,'_ Strider said to Makarov.

 _'One more check. Then come back,'_ Makarov said.

 _'Yes, sir,'_ Strider said as he continued his search.

-o-

"Dragons against Pegasi? What a photo-op," Eve said confidently.

"Let's do this," Hibiki said, firing up his Archive Magic. "I should have some information on dragons here."

"Fine, I'll go along with it," Ren added casually.

Jenny stared at the spot in the sky Strider had disappeared into, fretful for his safety.

 _'Be safe,'_ she thought, thinking of him.

 _'I will,'_ a voice said.

 _'Who's that?!'_ she asked, surprised.

 _'Strider. Telepathy,'_ he said with a chuckle.

 _'Does this mean you see everything I'm thinking?'_ Jenny thought.

 _'Yup. Dirty thoughts, Jenny. Though I'd be happy to make your dreams a reality,'_ Strider chuckled as Jenny turned red.

"Jenny? What's wrong?" Eve asked.

"Oh, nothing," she waved him off.

 _'Look, they don't mean anything, I just—'_ Jenny started before Strider cut her off.

 _'Ha, I was kidding. Of course, I can't see them like that. Good to know, though,'_ he said making Jenny blush harder.

 _'You asshole,'_ she thought, deadpanning.

 _'So I've been told,'_ he said back.

-o-

"Kagura, sit this one out. You need rest," Millianna said worriedly.

"No way. All of us have to fight," Kagura said.

"I suppose that I could stomach working with you," Lyon said to Gray.

"Just try and keep up," Gray replied.

"Is Wendy ok?" Shelia asked Juvia, worried.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine," Juvia said, smiling.

"A war with dragons," Jura said, smiling.

"I'll spin them all! Let me at them!" Ooba said.

 _'The guilds are all working together now,'_ Makarov said to Strider, who chuckled lightly.

 _'I suppose that's heartening at least. Sabertooth is playing nice, then?'_ Strider asked.

 _'Indeed. Although, I don't see Minerva here,'_ Makarov replied.

 _'That's a shame. She's pretty powerful. If someone does see her, they should let her know what's going on. Now that I think about it, I suppose it would be a good idea to let everyone know the best way to deal with a dragon. Warren, could you open a telepathic link with everyone so I could give them some advice? Gajeel, Natsu, Wendy, Laxus, Sting, and Rogue are all Dragon Slayers, but even they don't seem to have much experience with that aspect,'_ Strider said. Warren looked at Makarov, who nodded.

"LISTEN UP!" Makarov yelled over the din of the conversations. Everyone immediately stopped talking, giving him their fullest attention.

"No doubt that you're all excited and a little terrified. There's nothing wrong with that. But very few of us have dealt with dragons. Those that have - like the Dragon Slayers - did so a long time past. Strider has asked that a telepathic connection is opened amongst us all so he can let us know how to deal with the beasts. I ask that everyone hold their questions until he's done," Makarov said.

Despite a few uncertain looks, everyone ultimately agreed.

 _'Can you all hear me? Good. I'll keep this short and sweet. Dragons are highly magic resistant. Most of your attacks will bounce off or do little damage. I'm doubtful many will even garner attention. You have to make sure to be smart about your attacks. A dragon's eyes are its weakest point, so blind them as soon as you can. The mouth is also a weak point, and, depending on the dragon, the belly will also be tender enough to damage. I'm sure Hibiki can use his Archive Magic to identify those points and coordinate everyone to focus their attacks. Do not, under any circumstances, try to bite off more than you can chew. Even the weakest dragons are extremely dangerous under favorable circumstances,'_ Strider said. Everyone quickly affirmed what he said, mulling over the information.

"Master Makarov, how does Strider know so much about dragons?" Kagura asked. Makarov was silent as he looked all around. He thought intently about how much he should tell them.

 _'Tell them as much as you wish,'_ Strider told Makarov. With a sigh, the old Guild Master nodded.

"No doubt that many of you have realized that Strider is not from Ishgar," Makarov said. Apparently, most were not aware. His words were met with a resounding "WHAT?!"

"Wait - really?" Makarov asked, surprised.

"Where's he from? Alvarez?" Millianna asked.

"Or Veronica? Or Desierto? He looks kinda tan," Sherry added.

"He's from a different continent altogether - the one far north of Ishgar. He's the only one to make the journey successfully," Makarov said.

"No way. That's insane!" Sting said, surprised. Regardless of where in Ishgar they lived, everyone was aware that the Great Sea was nigh impossible to cross.

"And to the north, as Strider has told me, dragons are rare, but still very much alive. Strider has had more than a couple of dealings with them in the past," Makarov said.

"He's slain dragons?" Rogue asked, cutting to what everyone wanted to know.

"Yes," Makarov said gravely.

"How the hell were we supposed to beat him?" Risley asked lamely.

"Do you or he think we might have a chance against the ones that are coming?" Lyon asked.

"I honest—" Makarov began before his eyes shot wide open.

It started out as a low thump.

"THERE!" Jura roared. Everyone's eyes snapped toward the direction the Wizard Saint pointed. They were mesmerized as they saw a giant dragon with grayish white scales come out of a giant gate in front of the castle. Each step was like a mini earthquake, rumbling the city.

 _'STRIDER! THEY'RE HERE!'_ Makarov exclaimed. Strider kicked it into overdrive as he rushed back to the city.

"No way. Are we expecting thousands of those things? We're totally screwed," Elfman said as the others looked on in shock. Most had never seen a dragon, and those that had hadn't since they were raised by one. In the special case of the Tenrou Team, the last encounter was almost their last.

Another came out, this one covered in a leathery green skin and almost smiling.

"Wait! I thought they were supposed to be coming from the sky! Your Majesty!" Jura barked. The king looked on with just as much surprise as the others.

"No… what's going on?" the king asked quietly, his heart beating madly.

A third dragon soon followed; unlike the two predecessors, it was covered entirely in flames. The fourth was black and had a ton massive spikes protruding from its wingtips. It had a purple underbelly and walked on two massive legs, crushing buildings with each step. The fifth was purple-ish red with two curved spikes on the top of its head and bottom of its chin. The sixth one looked a bit more wizened. It was blue with fins on the top of its head and the bottom of its chin and its stomach was closer to the ground than the others. The seventh dragon looked like a giant boulder, covered in what seemed like an impenetrable rock.

As the seven began walking and destroying things underfoot, there was another rumble and a loud creak, as though something had been closed.

"They've stopped?" Makarov asked aloud, surprised.

"I hope so. Hell, this might be too much," Cana said as the Wizards were finally beginning to grasp the terror of the situation. Then, they heard another rumbling.

"More dragons?" Lisanna asked worriedly.

"No! Look!" Romeo shouted.

They saw them coming from Domus Flau, taking care to avoid causing as much damage as possible. The four massive statues that stood at each corner of the arena were running towards the dragons, who watched with intrigue.

"Are those…?" Romeo asked weakly.

There was another figure flying in front of the statues. Strider, as he had done in his first match with Jura, awakened the four. Each stood taller than a dragon, gaunt and menacing. They held their own weapons: a large sword and shield, a staff, a bow, and a battle ax. They soon heard Strider's voice over the commotion.

"FIGHT FOR THIS CITY YOU'VE WATCHED OVER! FIGHT FOR ITS PEOPLE! SHOW THESE DRAGONS THE STRENGTH OF CROCUS!" Strider roared at the statues. The ax-wielding statue took a mighty leap and crashed the ax on the head of the dragon with the large spikes on its head. Several dragons roared in pain as the statues were finally locked in battle with them, defending and attacking as well as they could.

Strider set down where the other guilds were as they watched on in shock and awe.

"Alright! We got some of our own monsters," Bixlow said, grinning.

"Good thinking!" Mavis agreed.

"Strider!" Jenny said as she hugged him tightly.

"Hey, Jenny," Strider said gently, rubbing here back. "Don't worry. We'll make it through this."

"Strider!" Makarov yelled.

"Right. Metal, rock and sand wizards - come here, please! Those four statues can do more damage than most of us can. Your only job is to keep them standing and fighting! they're going to suffer a lot of damage and breaks - keep them healed! Fill in the cracks, lock the joints! Besides staying alive, that's your main priority! Jura, can you lead them?" Strider asked.

"Of course. You all, with me!" Jura ordered them, quickly breaking them into teams. Suddenly, Strider saw a giant burst of flame erupt from the back of the dragon with the greyish-white scales that had taken to flying.

 _'Looks like Natsu's with whoever caused this mess. I'll check in with him soon,'_ Strider thought.

"Hibiki! You stay here and monitor the situation. Ren, Eve, back him up. Shelia, I need you to help the people who need it if they get hurt. Hibiki will point you in the right direction," Strider said. They agreed in affirmation, Hibiki quickly got to analyzing.

"Alright, I see you've all broken up into teams. Let's see… Sting! You, Olga, and Quatro Cerberus head to the one with the giant fins!" Strider ordered. The finned dragon was fighting a statue, struggling to do significant damage to the mighty structure. Sting nodded and set out with his team.

"Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel are up against that one!" Strider yelled, pointing to the dragon that was made entirely of rock. Its hard scales did well to support it against the crushing blows by the sword-wielding statue.

 _'He's gonna be a bastard to take out,'_ Strider thought, rolling his neck in anticipation.

"Rogue, Rufus, Gajeel - you're on him!" Strider said, pointing at the one with the spikes coming from his head. The dragon was having its mouth pried open by another of the statues. With a curt nod, Rogue and Rufus rushed off.

"Whoa, where are you going?" Gajeel asked Levy, who tried to follow.

"With you!" Levy said.

"I don't think so. You stay here. People are gonna need help gettin' out," Gajeel said.

"You're cra—" Levy began.

"Gajeel's right, Levy. We're going to need a lot of Wizards helping with the evacuation, and no one is better suited to lead them to safety than you," Strider said. Levy looked as though she was about to argue but Makarov agreed with Gajeel and Strider. With a sigh, Levy nodded and got to work.

Strider saw a Sky Dragon Roar suddenly come out against another dragon - the one with leathery green skin.

 _'Wendy has him,'_ Strider thought. He'd go and check on the girl in a bit to make sure she was safe.

"Fairy Tail - you're on the fire dragon until Natsu gets to him," Strider said, as the fire dragon was locked in battle with the final sentinel, trying to melt it.

"Jenny, find Mira and Wendy. Make sure they're ok," Strider said, pointing to the dragon that seemed to be talking with Wendy. Jenny nodded and quickly ran off.

"And what about you?" Makarov asked.

Strider looked at the dragon that had spikes on its wings, causing havoc. He felt a tingling go down his spine as Anglachel began to gently shake in anticipation; blood was coming.

"He's all mine," Strider said as he erupted at the dragon in full force. The other teams paused to watch as Strider collided with the dragon, Anglachel outstretched and a significant telekinetic barrier around him to keep him stable.

"No way," Sting said softly.

"Is… he trying to beat it head on by himself?" Rogue looked on in wonder.

-o-

"FOOL! You think you can beat me?!" the dragon roared at Strider.

"And what do they call you, o'mighty lizard?" Strider asked, his voice laced with condescension.

"Pulse," the dragon said.

"You won't be feeling yours by the time I'm done with you," Strider snarled.

"Big words from such a TINY CREATURE!" Pulse yelled, swiping at Strider with a wing. Instead of dodging, however, Strider pointing Anglachel out and suddenly ripped towards and through the wing. Pulse roared as a surprising amount of pain shot through him.

"Ha! What's wrong, Pulse? The little human too much for you?" the dragon with the spikes on its head asked.

"Quiet, Scissor Runner!" Pulse snarled as he launched another wing at Strider, who cut through it as well.

"YOU WILL SUFFER FOR THAT!" Pulse roared at Strider.

"And you will suffer ME!" Strider roared as he landed on Pulse's head. With a mighty plunge, he drove Anglachel into Pulse's head, pushing through the skin atop his head. He shot several bursts of telekinesis through the dragon's head. Pulse screamed in pain as he felt purplish blood began to trickle down. Looking in front, he saw the sword that Strider was holding - completely free of blood.

"IMPOSSIBLE! NO BLADE CAN PIERCE A DRAGON'S SKIN!" Scissor Runner roared in Strider's direction.

"This is no ordinary sword. This sword was made explicitly for slaying dragons or otherwise! You should've stayed away, lizard. You die tonight!" Strider said, so quietly that only Pulse could hear. Rolling his neck, Strider's eyes and mouth erupted blue and he soon went into a frenzy on the dragon. Amplified by his telekinesis, he was a blue as he began to quickly tear through the dragon's wings. Within a few minutes, the right wing was almost completely gone while the left was run ragged, bits of skin hanging on only by the sinew.

Pulse was breathing heavily, the pain finally reaching a tipping point. Strider soon landed on his head again and drove Anglachel deep into the same spot as before, this time thrusting through another layer. He felt the tip of the blade plunge into something soft - something that felt like the brain of the dragon. Licking his lips in excitement, Strider began to thrust the blade even more, digging through inch by inch. Pulling it out, he maneuvered a spire from a building and drove it deep into the hole that he had created.

 _'A young one. Its skin was thin. Not even comparable to Acnologia,'_ Strider thought before smirking inwards. _'Your lessons have paid off, Glaedr. Looks like I still have a lot to learn about dragons. Ancalagon won't be happy, though. He'd want to kill this thing himself.'_

The world was almost silent as they looked on. With a disgusting squelch, the spire ripped through the brain. Stride pulled it out and smashed it through several times, soon covering himself in the brain matter and copious purple blood that erupted like a geyser. The dragon had a horrified expression etched into its face as it began to fall to the side. As its body collapsed, more brain matter began to seep through the hole, its tongue hanging out and its eyes wide open.

Strider soon landed in the blood and scoffed. He dipped Anglachel into the pouring blood and soon, it began to be absorbed by the blade.

"Drink up. Have your fill. We're not done yet. Not by a long shot," Strider said, a shadow passing over his eyes as he looked at the dragons that stared at him.

 _'More,'_ Anglachel suddenly whispered in Strider's ear.

"As much as you want. These dragons aren't innocent," Strider whispered aloud. He grinned eerily, feeling a sense of excitement he hadn't in a long time.

-o-

"He… he… he…" Sting said weakly. His draconic opponent seemed just as flabbergasted, unable to capitalize on the pause in the battle.

-o-

"Killed…" Rogue continued.

-o-

"The dragon," Makarov finally ended.

-o-

"So… quickly?" Shelia asked.

-o-

"No… it's impossible," Scissor Runner said. Strider locked eyes with the dragon and erupted towards him, staggering him like he did Pulse. With several quick jabs and slashes, he had carved several deep marks into the dragon.

 _'I guess all of these dragons are young. Nothing next to Acnologia, and he was nothing next to Ancalagon,'_ Strider thought, his mind traveling to the seven years of training he had accomplished in the aftermath of the Tenrou Island incident.

-o-

The other Guilds looked on in awe.

"I've never seen anything like that," Kagura said as Strider was fighting Scissor Runner.

"He killed that dragon like it was nothing," Millianna said, awestruck.

-o-

"That dude is WILD!" Bacchus said, grinning.

-o-

"How were we supposed to beat him during the games?" Lyon deadpanned.

-o-

"Rogue! Join Sting and his team! I've got this one! Gajeel - help against the rock one!" Strider yelled. Rogue and his team quickly acquiesced and joined the White Dragon Slayer, who was fighting a dragon that called itself Levia, while Gajeel joined Lamia Scale and Mermaid Heel against the rock dragon.

"Impossible!" Levia roared as Scissor Runner roared in agreement.

"You're not human!" Scissor Runner yelled at Strider as he continued his attack. Scissor Runner swiped at Strider with a wing. Strider attempted to cut through it like he did with Pulse, but found himself launched into a building.

 _'His wings are tough,'_ Strider thought. With a scoff, he quickly recovered and ripped toward the dragon again. Strider narrowly avoided another winged swipe and managed to get close to the eyes. He drove Anglachel into one, eliciting a howl of pain from the dragon. He began jiggling the sword quickly, cutting through the nerve fibers and spilling optical fluid by the gallon. With his free hand, he shot a few telekinetic bursts at the other eye but they did almost no damage. Strider kept pace with the dragon as it lurched and swayed, trying to throw him off. Anglachel was embedded like a hook, however, with each movement, the eye was cut further and further until Strider was satisfied at the damage. He soon began work on the other eye, making sure to be just as thorough.

-o-

Gajeel was locked in battle with the rock dragon, who called himself Rock Garden. The dragon chuckled, surprising Gajeel.

"What's so funny?" Gajeel asked as he sent a giant iron rod at Rock Garden.

"They call us monsters, but I've never seen a human do that to a dragon before," Rock Garden said as he moved focused from Strider to Gajeel, who effortlessly managed to evade his attacks. Suddenly, Rock Garden launched rocks at Strider, who didn't see the attack coming.

"Strider, look out!" Gajeel yelled as he saw them fly. Strider, having destroyed both eyes, was flying around Scissor Runner. He narrowly managed to avoid the rocks, only to have a lucky hit landed on him by the dragon. Strider felt the dragon's tail slam against him, hurtling his body towards the concrete.

"Are you alright?!" Kagura yelled as she rushed to him.

"I… think so…" Strider said, gingerly getting him. He groaned as he felt blood seeping down from the back of his head. "I hope you're doing alright.

"You're the one whose hurt!" Kagura said. Strider raised an eyebrow. He hadn't heard Kagura sounding so concerned before. With a smile, he was soon in Scissor Runner's vicinity again.

"I can sense you're still alive," Scissor Runner said, looking all around, but not seeing anymore. Strider kept playing around with the dragon's senses, lurching here and there to cut him before backing off. The blind dragon was severely weakened, its other senses not as useful for the situation.

Strider paused to survey the battlefield. The statues were holding up better than he imagined and were able to do a considerable amount of damage. Most of the dragons were breathing heavier and bleeding severely, thanks to the powerful blows. The wizards, however - even the dragon slayers - were hardly able to do any damage.

Strider soon noted the cathedral that lay broken just a little further away. It had a massive and sharp spire, longer than the other one he had used. With a smile, he brought it under his control. Scissor Runner felt the spire pierce through his right eye, digging deeper than the sword. He screamed as he felt the crack part of his skull. As Strider withdrew it, he scoffed.

 _'Damn their thick skulls,'_ Strider thought as Scissor Runner continued to stomp in pain. Looking behind, he saw that Gajeel was having a bit of trouble with Rock Garden.

 _'Gajeel! Drive your iron rods into his right eye! I've got the left,'_ Strider thought to Gajeel who smiled.

"Hey, ugly - over here!" Gajeel yelled as Rock Garden focused on him.

Two sharp and vicious iron rods burst from Gajeel's arms and landed deftly on the right eye of Rock Garden. Gajeel heard a satisfying pop as they burst through the eyeball. Meanwhile, he saw that the left eye had been pierced by the sharp spire. One dragon was dead, and now two were blinded. Rock Garden went on a rampage against Gajeel, but he easily avoided the dragon.

 _'Lead him towards me!'_ Strider ordered Gajeel telepathically.

"Hey, what's wrong, ugly?! Can't you see me?!" Gajeel goaded as the dragon roared in pain and anger and began to follow Gajeel's voice. It soon erupted into a full on charge in the direction of the Dragon Slayer, leveling many buildings before finally, it ran directly into Scissor Runner.

"YOU FOOL!" Scissor Runner roared.

"WHAT DID YOU CALL ME?" Rock Garden yelled as his rock tail connected with Scissor Runner. To the amazement of the Wizards, the dragons began to fight each other with as much fury and force as they did the Wizards. Scissor Runner was unable to penetrate the rock hard skin of Rock Garden - who, on the other hand, landed devastating blows on Scissor Runner. With another smash of his tail on Scissor Runner's head, Rock Garden cracked away at the hard skin and exposed the softer second layer. He continued to blindly attack the dragon, who had no choice but to suffer the attacks.

"I've never liked you," Rock Garden snarled as his tail tore through the wing of Scissor Runner.

Suddenly Scissor Runner got in close and let out a devastating magic attack against Rock Garden, who roared in pain as he felt his rock chip away.

"Man, they're tearing into each other. Looks like the other dragons don't care," Gajeel said, noting how the other dragons didn't do anything to stop the fight.

"Dragons either care deeply or not at all. These two are no exception. They're mostly competitive with each other, though," Strider said.

Scissor Runner continued to break away the rocks that covered Rock Garden until he finally found the second layer.

"You've some soft skin for a dragon," Scissor Runner said viciously before he launched a magic attack at Rock Garden in a blind fury. Surprisingly, the attack connected. Rock Garden screamed in pain as the magic attack began to erupted within him. His rocky exterior began to bulge as pieces began to fall off. The magic attack inside began to churn away and destroy his internal organs until he finally fell with a crunch, dead.

-o-

"Two dead, five to go!" Makarov yelled as the people cheered.

-o-

"YOU THERE!" Strider roared as a statue approached them - the one wielding an ax.

"Now!" he yelled to it. With the stoic expression that adorned all of their faces, the statue brought up his ax and with a mighty swung, wedged it between Scissor Runner's eyes - in the same spot that Rock Garden had exposed. The dragon roared in pain as blood began to spurt out, covering the statue. It began to sway back and forth. Strider followed up, quickly driving Anglachel into the dragon's head. The sword immediately began to absorb the blood, delighted.

The statue and Strider gazed at the dragon who was still alive, but by the skin of its teeth.

"Anglachel. Now," Strider whispered. There was a muffled burst and suddenly, the dragon stopped twitching.

"Burn in hell," Gajeel snarled at the dragon's body.

-o-

Gajeel joined up with Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, and Lamia Scale against Levia. Meanwhile, Strider had taken high to the sky.

"Natsu!" Strider said.

"Strider!" Natsu said in excitement, happy to see his friend. Strider soon turned to look at the other man, one who had black hair covering the front of his face and gray hair running down his back.

"I have no idea who you are," Strider deadpanned.

"Rogue," the Wizard answered.

"Oh?" Strider asked.

"He's from the future. He's the one that brought the dragons here!" Natsu said.

"Why?" Strider asked.

"He wants to conquer the world!" Natsu said.

"You can't be serious," Strider said with a laugh. Rogue attacked him but Strider deflected the attack. "Why are you attacking our time?"

"Why this time?" Strider asked.

"Acnologia," Rogue hissed.

"What's Acnologia to you?" Strider asked.

"He's insane, man! He wants to kill Acnologia and become King of Dragons or something!" Natsu explained, cutting to the gist.

"Did you tell him that Acnologia is dead?" Strider asked. Future Rogue froze, surprised.

"No, that's impossible!" Rogue said, attacking Strider again.

"I killed him. Seven years ago, you fool," Strider said, knocking the attack away again. Rogue seemed stunned. Strider narrowed his eyes.

 _'How does he not know?'_ Strider wondered. "Time travel, hmm? Fool. You've entered a completely separate - a completely wrong - place in history, it seems. This isn't the past you were hoping to change. Perhaps these dragons remember Acnologia if they're from the past - but in this future, there is no Acnologia. Acnologia is dead," Strider.

"No… no, that's impossible! I SAW IT! I SAW IT MYSELF!" Rogue roared.

"Enough," Strider said, suddenly lunging forth. He wrapped a hand around Rogue's face, his eyes and mouth blazing blue again. As he tore through the mental defense of Future Rogue, he suddenly saw a glimpse of it.

A single dragon, black as night and blotting out the sun. In the air around him were smaller winged creatures - each with a rider. Strider attempted to go further but found nothing else save for the mental image. He let Rogue fall back, his eyes wide open.

 _'No,'_ Strider thought. He felt a powerful fear grasp at his heart

"Uhhh… Strider?" Natsu asked, snapping him out of his funk.

"Hmm?" Strider asked.

"He's the one that's controlling the dragons!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What? How?" Strider asked, surprised. He pushed the image out of his head for the moment. He could think about it later.

"Dragon Tamer Magic!" Natsu yelled. To his surprise, Strider began to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Dragon Tamer Magic… really?" Strider asked, turning to Rogue who grew angrier at having his memory violated.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?!" Rogue roared, attacking him.

"That you actually think your magic worked," Strider said.

"What're you talking about? These dragons are under MY control!" Rogue roared.

"No, they aren't," Strider said. "Natsu what's this dragon's name?"

"Uhh… Motherglare, I think!" Natsu said.

"You ought to be honest, lizard. Dragons might be known for their trickery, but never their dishonesty. Are you truly under Rogue's control?" Strider asked the dragon. To Rogue's surprise, the dragon began to laugh.

"None of us were," the dragon said in a menacing voice.

"Motherglare…" Rogue began.

"We listened to you because we thought your idea interesting, boy. You think you have the power to tame a dragon? Don't make us laugh," Motherglare said.

Rogue's look of surprise turned into fury.

"But… you said…" he began, seething.

"Like I said, it was an interesting idea. Nothing else," Motherglare said. Suddenly, he began to shake.

"What're you doing?" Rogue yelled.

"This world isn't yours. It's ours," Motherglare said vilely. Strider noticed several egg-like things begin to detach and rocket towards earth.

"Oh, hell. Natsu! Rogue and Motherglare are yours! You're going to need some help, though!" Strider said as he rocketed down to the ground.

Four dragons remained, but the landscape below had changed rapidly. The eggs that Motherglare deployed began to hatch immediately. To his surprise, Strider saw that everyone took the change in battle in stride. Most of the Wizards attacked the hatchlings, leaving the Dragon Slayers focused on the bigger ones.

Strider soon came across a small squadron of hatchlings that were faced away from him. With a small smile, he quickly locked them in statuses with his telekinesis. Pressing his hands to the hatchlings heads, he began to Dominate them. Their own eyes burned blue and as he removed his telekinesis from them, they stayed still and awaited orders.

"You will obey. Fight for me," he ordered them. With a nod, the hatchlings began to join the fray on his behalf.

-o-

"Guys, I don't like this," Macao said as Wakaba, Romeo, Cana, Lisanna, Elfman, Freed, Bixlow, and Evergreen were fighting beside him. They saw a large squadron begin to descend upon them and looked on fearfully, wondering what to do.

"How are we going to take them all out?" Evergreen yelled. Suddenly, the squadron that was approaching them was blown to hell.

"What just happened?" Freed demanded. They didn't have to look long before they saw the answer.

Hatchlings appeared, but their weapons weren't on Fairy Tail - they were turned against their own kind. Strider's squad began to annihilate their brethren with a furious intensity. The looked to Fairy Tail, who looked in shock. They simply began attacking more hatchlings, paying no attention to the Wizards.

"What's… going on?" Romeo asked his father.

"I've… no idea. But I'll take it!" Macao said as he leaped into an offensive as well. Strider meanwhile dominated a few more squads that took their place throughout all the teams, saying nothing but ingraining themselves in the fight. Everyone was stunned, but no one questioned it - right now, the stakes were too high to question alliances.

-o-

Strider made his way over to where Wendy was - and there, he finally saw Mira. Strider felt a rush of happiness as he saw her - but to his horror, Zirconis did as well. He launched a tail at Mira. Kicking it into overdrive, Strider barely grabbed her at the last minute.

"Strider!" Mira yelled, hugging him tightly.

"You're safe," Strider said happily, smiling as he set her on the ground.

"What's going on?" Mira asked worriedly.

"Three dead, four active," he said.

"Did you…?" she asked uncertainly.

"Unfortunately. Too many lives at stake to worry about anything else," Strider said. Mira sighed as she hugged him again.

"This is sweet and all, but is now really the best time?" Jenny asked as she came up to them, exasperated.

"DIE!" Zirconis yelled as he launched his tail at them. Strider quickly pulled them out of them way, sighing as he admonished himself for spacing out.

"Strider, be careful of his magic!" Wendy yelled.

"What is it?!" Strider asked.

"He can make your clothes disappear!" Wendy said, blushing red.

Everyone was quiet. Strider looked slowly at the dragon who grinned in response.

"Yeah, you should've seen Lucy lose hers," Mira sighed.

"What's your name?" the dragon asked him civilly.

"Strider. And yours?" Strider asked.

"They call me Zirconis," it said.

"Zirconis? Your temperance reminds me of another dragon I met during my travels. You wouldn't happen to know a dragon named Glaedr, would you?" Strider asked.

"HA! So the old coot is still alive, eh? I knew him well. Smallest dragon I've seen. Could barely use fire! He liked you humans for some reason. You met him, then?" Zirconis asked.

"I have. He's a pretty good conversationalist," Strider said.

"Useless in other regards," Zirconis said, although he couldn't deny that particular trait of Glaedr.

"He outlived you, didn't he?" Strider asked, smiling.

Zirconis's smiled turned upside down.

"Only because he chose to hide his whole life," he snarled at Strider. "When I get my claws on him…"

"He's flown north," Strider said.

"Oh? To chase those myths?" Zirconis asked snidely.

"Not myths. Completely real," Strider said as Zirconis eyed him.

"You said your name was Strider, right?" Zirconis asked again.

"I did," Strider replied.

"Strider… I'll remember that," he said before he attacked Strider, who dodged.

Zirconis took to the air, following Strider and the two began to rocket off of each other. Wendy joined in, attacking Zirconis with her mighty roars which inflicted slight damage.

"Nice work, Wendy," Strider praised her.

 _'Please be safe,'_ Mira said telepathically.

 _'Of course. We've our date coming up, no?'_ Strider asked. Despite the situation, Mira couldn't help but blush and smile.

"Strider…" Mira heard a soft voice say. She turned and saw the princess looking up in awe, watching Strider's every movement.

"He's quite the warrior," Arcadios said in awe.

"You should've seen his reaction when the king told us about the dragons," Jenny said with a smile.

"What do you mean?" Hisui asked, worried.

"He flew out, looking for them. Didn't believe the king. Looks like he was right," Jenny continued as Hisui started to cry.

"It's all my fault… what've I done?" she asked as Jenny and Mira leaned down close to her, comforting her.

"You did what you thought was best," Mira said softly.

-o-

Above them, Zirconis roared in pain as Strider cut off the two tendrils that hung from his chin.

"You'll pay for that!" Zirconis roared as his tail connected with Strider, sending him to the ground.

"Strider!" Mira and Jenny yelled, rushing to his figure. Slowly, he got up and looked at them. They could see blood begin to pour more heavily from the back of his head. His clothes were tattered and ripped, bruises and cuts showing on his face. As Mira looked down, she saw that his legs had begun to wobble.

"Going to take a lot more than that to get rid of me," Strider said, winking at the two before rushing against Zirconis again.

 _'Wendy! I need some support. Use Arms and Vernier on me and spin me with your magic!'_ Strider said telepathically. Wendy did as he asked and Strider began to spin wildly - Anglachel at his front. He added a telekinetic burst to himself as he got closer to the dragon, who paused to see what he was going to do. As he connected with Zirconis's chest, the dragon roared in pain. Strider ripped through several arteries of the dragon and erupted on the other side, covered in blood. Zirconis's body slowly fell back to earth, landing with a thump that shook the entire city. Strider soon landed close to the dragons head, cleaning himself as much as possible.

"I will leave it to you," Strider whispered softly so only the dragon could hear. The others looked on in anticipation.

"Oh? What?" the dragon breathed.

"Whether you live painfully or die peacefully," Strider said.

The dragon had a weak smile on its face. Slowly, it closed its eyes. Strider's attack did more damage than he thought - the dragons raspy breathing finally stopped as it laid motionless.

"It's… dead…" Hisui said weakly. Strider walked over to Mira and Jenny who rushed to hug him.

"Are you okay?" Jenny asked, feeling his face while Mira made sure to check that nothing was broken.

"Just a bit tired and sore," Strider said as he put his arm around them. Mira quickly kissed his cheek, paying no attention to the blood that still covered him.

"Th-Thank you…" Hisui said.

Strider found a green haired woman, and a large armored man - he recognized neither. Beside them stood Yukino, the wizard he saw fight against Kagura

"You're welcome. If you can fight, then fight. And hello, Yukino," Strider said, looking at them. Yukino smiled and nodded in reply.

"This is Princess Hisui," Mira said.

"And General Arcadios," Jenny added.

They shrunk under Strider's gaze, unable to tell what he was thinking. He then smiled gently at Hisui.

"I'm surprised you didn't run when you got the chance," Strider said, leaning down close to the princess.

"I cannot abandon my kingdom," Hisui said, tears falling freely.

"You're already braver than many kings I've dealt with," Strider said kindly.

"This… is all my fault," Hisui cried.

"No. I assume you were tricked by the Rogue from the Future?" Strider asked.

"I… was. He made many predictions - all of which came true," Hisui said with a shuddering breath.

"And you assumed this one would as well. A reasonable deduction, and one you cannot be blamed for. The punishment you'll probably give yourself is worse than any that could be inflicted on you. But I need you to do something right now, Princess," Strider said.

"What is it?" Hisui asked, wiping away her tears.

"I need you to be strong. Your people are depending on you. I know you're afraid - I am too, and I've dealt with a lot of dragons in my lifetime. But you need to be fearless. You need to be strong. I need you and your men to put your heads together and figure out a way to stem the damage these dragons are causing and send them back to their own time. Can you do that for me, Princess?" Strider asked gently. Slowly, she nodded and got to her feet.

 _'I will not be beaten,'_ Hisui thought to herself. She began to work with her men and women and do what Strider asked.

"That was sweet of you," Mira said, putting her arms around him again. Despite the fighting, she wanted him to herself for a few moments.

"I thought you were going to yell at her," Jenny said.

"She's young. And while this isn't a mistake as much as it is a total clusterfuck, that's not what she needs to hear right now," Strider said smiling. They looked at the city - three dragons were still remaining. To the surprise of those watching, the fire dragon was attacking Motherglare. The other teams began to focus their attacks on the last dragon on the ground - Levia. Three of the statues were destroyed. Only the one wielding an ax remained, and he was on the ground - unable to move. Here and there and swept at a few of the hatchlings and crushed them, but was otherwise out of commission. Metal, sand, and rock wizards congregated around the statue and began to heal it to the best of their abilities. Strider smiled wistfully as saw the carnage.

"What's wrong?" Mira asked worriedly.

"I thought I left all the destruction behind me," Strider sighed. Mira frowned as she leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek, Jenny taking the other side.

"None of this is your fault. The way I see it, you're the one that's doing the best at trying to stop it. The world needs more people like you," Mira said confidently.

"Thanks, Mira," Strider said as he kissed her forehead. He couldn't wait until they finally got some downtime again - he couldn't remember another time he was as worried as when he couldn't reach her.

"You guys stay here and figure out the next move with the princess. I'm going to go help against that dragon," Strider said. Kissing both of women on the cheek, he headed towards Levia.

-o-

As opposed to flying, Strider opted to go through the streets. He was able to help a few people that had been left behind and pointed them in the right direction.

"Damn these little guys!" Ultear shouted. Closing in on her and Meredy's position, Strider quickly twisted the necks on the hatchlings that surrounded them.

"Whoa. Thanks for the assist," Meredy said.

"Not at all. Where's Jellal?" he asked.

"I think he went to find and help Erza," Meredy said. "You're doing a great job too!"

"Have either of you seen Minerva?" Strider asked.

"I haven't. I think she's already gone by now, though," Meredy said.

 _'She could've been a huge help,'_ Strider sighed.

"Are you doing okay? You look hurt," Ultear said.

"I'm fine, more or less. Just want to get this over with so I can rest," Strider sighed. "Come."

Exchanging a glance, Meredy, and Ultear followed.

-o-

"My skin is harder than even Rock Gardens. You can't pierce it!" Levia yelled at the group he was up against.

"Don't be so sure!" Strider yelled as he smashed into the dragon head on, making it flinch slightly. Meredy and Ultear meanwhile split the group up and pointed them in different directions to fight the hatchlings.

"You!" Levia roared.

"Who is this guy?" Strider asked Sting.

"Calls himself Levia!" Sting shouted, sighing heavily. The fight had taken a lot out of those involved, even the Dragon Slayers.

"Levia, eh?" Strider said as he brandished Anglachel.

"And you must be the one they call Strider," Levia said.

"I am," Strider replied.

"I'm impressed with you, boy. You not only killed Zirconis and Pulse, but you somehow convinced Rock Garden and Scissor Runner to destroy each other! You're quite an effective killer, aren't you?" Levia said with a snarl. Strider clicked his tongue.

"Not even a thank you for all that praise? Where are your manners!" Levia roared at Strider, sending the young man back slightly from the force of his dragon breath. Strider found his footing as he zoomed at Levia, tearing through one of the fins. Levia roared in pain as the others looked on at the match.

-o-

"GUYS!" Lucy cried as she caught up with Princess Hisui and the others.

"Lucy! You found new clothes!" Jenny cheered as Lucy sweatdropped.

"Yeah, Jenny… but that's not important right now! Listen, I think I have a way to get rid of these dragons. The Eclipse Gate! We need to destroy it. If we destroy it in our time, the dragons can't ever use it to come here," Lucy said in one breath.

"But how do we destroy it?" Yukino asked.

"We can use our spirits. They've got enough power I think," Lucy said as Yukino nodded. They knelt in front of each other near the gate as they clasped both hands and began to chant. They summoned their spirits, all of whom focused on destroying the gate. No matter how hard they tried, however, they couldn't break it.

-o-

Meanwhile, Levia was still fighting Strider. Neither relented as they tore into each other. Strider found himself a bloody mess. Levia seemed to be one of the older dragons here, and considerably more powerful than the others. Even though he lacked the scales of Motherglare or the naturally resistant body of the fire dragon, who announced himself as Atlas Flame, he was older than both. His attacks were certainly more matured.

"I've already claimed the lives of countless Dragon Slayers," Levia said as he stopped his attack. Strider levitated, wondering how to proceed.

"I'm not a Dragon Slayer. I just happen to be a man who's found himself slaying dragons. A culling, as it were," Strider said as he went in for a cut. Anglachel met its mark, but the damage wasn't deep enough

"You've certainly given me more of a workout than those other slayers," Levia said as he sent fire at Strider, who dodged it.

"They're no joke themselves. A little more experience and they would've likely slain you by now," Strider said, praising his friends for their bravery.

"Ha. Don't be so easy on them, boy. These so-called Dragon Slayers have never met a true Dragon Slayer. They've likely not even set eyes on a dragon before. But you… you're different. You've seen many dragons in your time. You know the devastation we can cause - our wrath and ruin. I see it in how you fight us. Oh, yes. You won't admit it, but this is your element, Strider. Death and destruction. You're not so different from us dragons, are you?" Levia asked with malice. He took a sharp intake of air as Strider said nothing. The world seemed to have gone quiet as it listened to Levia.

"I can smell his blood on you, boy. That particular dragon - the one that struck so much fear into the hearts of my kind. The name that we even now struggle to say. So, it was you who killed him, eh? You slew Acnologia. That's no small feat. You slew the Dragon King. But there's another smell on you. Something else… something like…" Levia finished, smiling at Strider who remained unmoved.

Finally, Strider erupted at Levia with a devastating ferocity. With as much force as he could gather, he flew directly at the head of the dragon. Levia simply smiled as he saw the fury take hold of him. Strider tore through Levia's forehead as he erupted out of the other end as Levia roared in pain.

Strider levitated over the body of Levia, feeling everyone stare at him. The battle seemed to have stopped. Even Atlas Flame and Motherglare looked at the Wizard. Nobody knew what else to say - except Anglachel.

 _'Blood,'_ the sword whispered. Strider obeyed, setting down close to the dragon and resting the tip of the sword in the blood that pooled around its head. Anglachel began to absorb the blood more quickly than earlier. Strider sighed, feeling the pull of the sword on his mind and body. He heard Levia whisper one more thing to him before he died.

"The king is dead. Long live the king."

Suddenly, an explosion was heard and everyone finally snapped out of their funk. They looked to the sky as they saw something erupt from Atlas Flame and hit Motherglare - hard. The dragon lost its balance in flight as it began to fall towards the Eclipse Gate.

-o-

Finally, Motherglare landed against the Eclipse Gate. The gate buckled under the immense pressure of the dragon and broke into hundreds of smaller pieces. As the smoke cleared, Natsu stood triumphantly over Rogue, his hand wrapped around his neck.

"No… it's impossible. The Eclipse Gate was meant to withstand any attack," Arcadios said.

"Whoever designed this particular flaw should be rewarded handsomely," Carla added. Immediately as the gate was destroyed, the bodies of the dragons began to dissipate.

-o-

From the alleys, Strider saw the hatchlings he had dominated come to him, their heads tilted as they too began to vanish.

-o-

"Leaving? Good riddance," Gajeel spat at the body of Rock Garden.

-o-

"That was pathetic. We couldn't slay a single dragon. It feels like a loss," Sting said, sitting on a pile of rubble and rubbing his face.

"We protected our friends. That's all that matters," Rogue said, smiling at his best friend. Sting returned the smile with a large grin of his own.

-o-

Mavis was hovering overhead, frowning.

 _'All these Dragon Slayers… and none were able to slay a dragon. Only Strider was… There's still a lot of mystery around him. But there's doubt he's a huge help to us,'_ she said, smiling at his figure. She frowned as she saw his sword, however. A shiver went down her spine as she felt something else; her head snapped towards the broke Eclipse Gate. Mavis waited, but nothing happened. With a sigh, she returned to Fairy Tail.

 _'Perhaps I'm a bit too tired as well,'_ she thought.

-o-

"Strider!" Mira yelled as she launched onto him, holding him tightly. She cried softly into his chest as Jenny joined her. Strider held both of them closely - finally, peace had come. The dragons were gone.

"I will never forget you… Son of Igneel," Atlas Flame said to Natsu.

"Couldn't have done it without you. Thanks, Uncle," Natsu said, smiling at the dragon. He looked at Strider, a huge grin on his face. Strider returned it.

"That dragon knew Igneel?" Strider asked.

"Yup. Turns out him and my dad were good friends. Wouldn't have beaten Rogue without him," Natsu said, smiling.

"It's no small feat to get through to a dragon. Congratulations," Strider said, smiling at the dragon slayer.

Slowly, he let Jenny and Mira go.

"I'll be back quickly. I need to make sure that…" Strider trailed off but they understood.

"Go," Mira said, smiling. They watched him rocket off.

"He's really something else, huh?" Mira asked.

"That he is," Jenny said.

-o-

"Strider! That was absolutely astounding!" Jura said.

"Thank you, Jura. But I deserve the least credit. Without the hard work of everyone - and I mean everyone - here, the outcome would've been drastically different, and not for the better. The courage with which you all fought today - it's one of the greatest showings I've seen. The world will live to see another day because of your actions," Strider yelled to the crowd that had gathered. They cheered in response to his words. He began to check in with everyone.

"Sting, Rogue, Olga, Rufus, Lector, Frosche. How're you guys holding up? Any serious injuries on you or your guild?" he asked going over to Sabertooth.

"A little bit of wounded pride," Sting said with a grin that Strider returned.

"Only remedy for that is alcohol," Strider replied as Sting chuckled.

"Marvelous work out there," Rufus said, bowing. Strider bowed in return.

"Don't thank me. You guys did all the heavy lifting," Strider said, smiling at those gathered.

"I'll see you guys later," Strider said as he moved on to Mermaid Heel. Kagura seemed to be the most hurt. He knelt down and tended to her injuries as best as he could.

"I wasn't aware you could use healing magic," Kagura said, surprised.

"I can't. Little massage never goes amiss, though" Strider said, smiling.

"Thank you," Kagura said, blushing slightly while her teammates giggled.

"Not a problem. You were astounding out there. I saw your work with the hatchlings. Think you got more than anyone else," Strider praised.

"I would've been a goner without my team," Kagura said.

"You were awesome out there, Strider!" Millianna exclaimed.

"Indeed," Erza said, coming up behind Strider and hugging him as he got up.

"Are you okay?" Strider asked softly, holding her tight.

"Yes. And you?" Erza asked worriedly.

"More… or less," Strider said.

"Three dragons all by yourself, by my count," Erza said.

"I would've rather'd they not attacked and lived peacefully in their own time. As hard as it is to accept, the world belongs to other creatures as much as it does us. Never easy to do something like that," Strider whispered.

"We all would've," Erza sighed, resting her head on his chest for a while.

"Man, you're way to wild," Bacchus said, slapping Strider on the back. Strider slung his arm around Bacchus and smiled at his team.

"You all alright?" Strider asked. Quattro Cerberus seemed to have escaped without a scratch. They gave him a resounding WILD bill of health.

"Thank you all for the help that you rendered today. Without you, the kingdom would lay in shambles. Please, take the night and day off and rest your wounds! We have nothing but festivities planned for the next several days!" the king's voice soon said. Leaving the guilds to their cheer, Strider excused himself.

 _'Finally, I can get some rest,'_ Strider thought. He thought back to the words that Levia had said.

"The king is dead. Long live the king."

With a sigh, Strider managed to push the words out of his head.

"Strider? Are you okay?" Erza asked as she came up behind him, worried. She noticed that he stumped as he tried to walk away.

"Hey - can you hear me?" came Cana's voice, a bit muffled.

"STRIDER!" Bisca yelled, although at this point he couldn't hear much of anything. Strider suddenly fell forward, his legs unable to hold him up. Wendy and Shelia quickly rushed to his side and began to heal him while the others gave him some space.

Strider felt his eyes open and close several times, unsure of what was going on. All he could see was black, all he could feel was pain, and all he could hear was Anglachel's whispers.


	25. A Dark Path

_"I see you're sulking again, laddie," came a voice behind Strider. He smiled as he saw one of his friends walking towards him. The man was short and stout, wearing a heavyset helmet that did nothing to conceal the reddish-brown hair that seemingly melded with his beard. He laid down his heavy ax at Strider's side before sitting on a rocky outcrop. Spread ahead of them was a vast and green plain. The grass grew at least a foot high and was peppered with boulders, outcrops, and crags that had called the land home since the dawn of time. With the peaceful white clouds sailing overhead, it was peace incarnate._

 _"Until this war is over and done with, sulking will remain my past time," Strider said with a chuckle. Sighing, he laid back down, letting the gentle sun cast a warm glow over him. "How long until you move out?"_

 _"We'll leave in the morning," said another man that came behind them. He looked like Strider - with hair that fell to his shoulders and a bit of stubble. He carried himself with a kingly demeanor, never slouching. His wise eyes searched the land as well, seeing things that others would miss. With a heavy sigh, he sat down next to Strider._

 _"Are you sure you won't join us?" asked a third man that quickly sat on Strider's other side. He was, for lack of a better word, beautiful. His blond fell just in front of his shoulders, complementing the beautiful robe he wore. The arrows in his quiver hardly clinked, while the bow he wielded seemed as though it had never fired a shot._

 _"I'm sure. I need to make sure she's alright. It's been a long time," Strider sighed._

 _"He's afflicted," the blond man sighed._

 _"Be nice, Legolas," the kingly man said with a chuckle. Strider joined in; his friend wasn't wrong._

 _"He agrees, Aragorn," Legolas said, laughing._

 _"He's afflicted as well, you know. Just covers it up better than I do," Strider said, eliciting a sigh from Aragorn._

 _"Happens to the best of us, laddie," the stout man said._

 _"Are you telling me that there's someone waiting for you as well, Gimli?" Strider wondered._

 _"Ha! Someone?! Several someones!" the dwarf said with an up uproarious laugh._

 _"Perhaps this conversation is best handled without the child," Legolas said with a light laugh._

 _"I might be the youngest person here, but I'm far from being a child!" Strider complained._

 _"You are to us. But there are worse things to be than young. Take your time to grow old. It's nothing to rush," Aragorn said gently._

 _"I'd listen to him. He's a wise one," Gimli said with a laugh._

 _"Foods ready!" came a shout from the camp behind them. Gimli and Legolas took their leave while Aragorn stood behind Strider, admiring the majesty in front._

 _"It's almost as though the fighting doesn't exist. Not here, at least," he said softly._

 _"Feels that way. I just hope we can end it soon. Places like this should be preserved," Strider said._

 _"That's part of why we fight. To preserve the land and the people," Aragorn said._

 _"Has anyone ever tried to reason with them?" Strider suddenly asked._

 _"The orcs?" Aragorn wondered._

 _"Yes. If fighting could be averted - at all…" Strider trailed off._

 _"Several times. Not once has an emissary returned, however. No - we passed the point of reconciliation a long time ago," Aragorn said._

 _"I suppose so," Strider sighed before he sprung up with a jump. "So be it."_

 _"Come. Let's eat. You need to be ready to leave in the morning as well," Aragorn said, slinging an arm around Strider's shoulders and leading him towards camp. With one more wistful look behind him, Strider sighed and followed._

 _-o-_

 _"You need to break this habit of yours," Strider sighed as he came up on Aragorn sitting atop a boulder, smoking his pipe. Aragorn's eyes were turned up to the twinkling stars that smiled upon the small company._

 _"This?" he asked, holding up the pipe._

 _"No - well, yes. It's bad for you, first of all. But no - the lack of sleep," Strider said, sitting down. "One might be feeding the other."_

 _"Shouldn't you be taking your own advice, then?" Aragorn asked with a light smile._

 _"Ha. I'm just enjoying my youth, old man," Strider said with a grin._

 _"My prime is still ahead of me, you know," Aragorn said, clenching his fist several times. "Although I can't help wonder if it might be a curse."_

 _"What? Our lifespan?" Strider asked, sitting down next to him._

 _"Yes. Last I heard, Théoden is beginning to show signs of old age. Whereas I've still managed to retain my youth," Aragorn sighed._

 _"It's lessening with each generation," Strider noted. "A few ages from now and it'll be so diluted, it won't even be recognizable."_

 _"What do you think of our forefathers?" Aragorn asked._

 _"What do you mean?" Strider wondered._

 _"Are you angry with them for spreading so far and letting their kingdoms fall? For not making the right decision when it all began?" Aragorn asked. Strider sighed as he laid down again, taking a long moment to enjoy the light above._

 _"You know that I don't care for ancestry," Strider said, his voice a bit harder. "They're dead. Best to just leave them that way and look ahead."_

 _"Perhaps you're right," Aragorn said, not pressing him for an answer. "Unfortunately, it's not that easy in my case."_

 _"You're going to make a great king," Strider said, sitting back up with a serious expression. Aragorn laughed at that._

 _"I thought you disdain the monarchy?" Aragorn asked._

 _"I do. But I respect you. I wouldn't kneel to any king but you," Strider said._

 _"That much I know. I remember hearing a tale about a young Dúnadan that, when he came across Prince Imrahil, refused to kneel or even bow for him," Aragorn said with a chuckle._

 _"I do regret not bowing, at least. He's a good man," Strider sighed. "Not like Lord Elrond, but a good man in his own right."_

 _"Few are like Lord Elrond," Aragorn sighed. "But all that said, your respect means a great deal to me."_

 _"We'll see you to the throne yet, sire," Strider said._

 _"Ah, you know not to call me sire," Aragorn laughed._

 _"Get some sleep. You need to be well rested as much as I do," Aragorn said. With a sigh, Strider nodded; bowing as low as he could, he left to take Aragorn up on his advice. Soon, Aragorn began singing; and despite their respite, his friends couldn't help but smile in their sleep._

 _-o-_

 _"You know what you're supposed to be doing, then?" Aragorn asked as he helped Strider load his horse._

 _"I do. I'll visit her and stay for a couple of days and relay the messages before I catch up with you all again. Shouldn't be too difficult with him," Strider said as he caressed the mane of his steed. The dark black horse whinnied in delight, allowing Aragorn to caress him as well._

 _"Strider - do you really have to go?" one of the youngest of their number asked._

 _"Afraid so, Merry. She's not too far from here, though. Just a little bit North. I'll be back before you know it," Strider said with a kind smile._

 _"Make sure you bring back some of that Elven bread!" Pippen said._

 _"But of course. I've been craving some myself," Strider said with a grin._

 _"But… do you have to go so soon?" Frodo asked hesitantly._

 _"Strider wouldn't be leaving unless it wasn't important. He has his own duties to carry out, my boy," Gandalf said kindly. "We'll see you on the other side of the mountains."_

 _"Yes, sir. Until then, everyone. Stay safe!" Strider said. His steed neighed loudly before it set off at a blistering pace._

 _"That's a mighty fine horse, Mr. Frodo," Sam said, captivated._

 _"He's always had an affinity with animals," Aragorn said with a smile._

 _"Animals and women," Boromir said with a little chuckle of his own. "Perhaps it's a good thing he's never been to Gondor!"_

 _"Only one remains for his eye, now," Gandalf said with a light smile before looking at the snow-capped mountains with a daring eye. "Come, everyone. We must off as well."_

 _-o-_

 _He knew that something was wrong when he saw a dark black smoke rising behind the lofty hill. He hoped against hope that the unthinkable had happened, but knew in his heart of hearts that it had. He kicked his steed into a full gallop, his heart breaking a little more with each foot._

 _The fire on the village was still going but had likely lessened. Strider looked on with wide eyes and panic as he jumped off and into the village at full sprint. All around him were bodies - the men, women, children, and animals. Strider ran into several houses, but all were devoid of life. He recoiled as he saw a woman had been partially eaten, her body slightly charred; her husband and child lay to the side, each missing an arm and leg. Nearby, a burning beam had fallen on a man who couldn't escape; his nails had begun to split as he desperately tried to escape. Not far away, the heads of several villagers had been impaled on pikes while their bodies lay off to the side, reeking of piss and shit._

 _In the wreckage of a sooty black residence was the only glint of white he had seen since entering. His pace slowed to a crawl as he approached it. He grabbed at his necklace, holding onto it as he approached._

 _The hand stuck out from the ashes; long and slender, he gently touched the cuff of the fabric. Strider slowed his breathing, acknowledging what lay beneath before he cast the ashes and debris aside. Her creamy white skin had lost some color; her Elven dress was ragged and dirtied and had lost some of its glow. Her eyes were open in shock, unseeing; and in the middle of her chest, above the heart, was a gaping hole._

 _Strider quickly fell to his knees, but no tears came - nor his voice. All he could see was the woman on the ground; to all else, he was blind. The sun dove and rose, and still, he stayed - unable to move or sleep._

 _Finally, however, he brought a finger to her face and caressed it. Her skin was cold to the touch, so different from the warmth he had always known her to carry._

 _"Anairë," he said softly. As much as he tried, the tears wouldn't come - nor would the scream he felt in his heart. Gently, he cradled her body in his arms and picked her up. Letting his feet guide the way, Strider slogged her to the hill that overlooked the town. Getting on his knees, he began to dig the dirt away with his hands. It was a long process but seemed to pass in moments to him. With the same unyielding expression he had worn since the day before, he placed her in the grave. The dirt came onto her easily until finally, only the telltale signs of an unearthed plot of land remained. Strider sat on top of the grave, unable to hear, see, feel, or think a thing. His body and senses felt entirely numb and foreign. No anger, no regret, nothing._

 _His steed came up behind him, sniffing the ground and him before it laid down on its legs at his side._

 _-o-_

 _It wasn't long until Strider and his steed had picked up the trail. Whoever - and he had a good idea of who - had committed the atrocities were on foot. As such, they couldn't hope to escape what they didn't know was coming upon them. A hard days and nights ride did nothing to quell the silent fury burning in the pit of his stomach. Strider kicked his horse into high gear, but it didn't mind; its fury was at a fever pitch as well._

 _Well into the evening, the enemy made a stop in a forest for some rest. They were brazen in their respite; howls of the orc and the din of their weapon reverberated through the area. Leaving his horse at the edge of the forest, Strider silently went in, his hands shaking. He soon saw a soft light; drawing his sword, he slowly approached it. A small party of orcs surrounded a fire, eat the little food they had scourged from the village._

 _"We did what he asked! He'd better be pleased!" one of them snarled._

 _"The She-Elf's heart?" another asked._

 _"On the way by air already," another grunted. That was all Strider needed to hear; with a deft movement, the orcs found themselves unable to move all of a sudden. Panic and anger quickly spread through their numbers as their eyes dashed around, looking for the culprit. Strider quietly strode into the middle, his eyes fixed on the fire. He used his telekinesis to conform it to a sharp point that he suddenly put through an orc's head. The orc looked on with a look shock as the blazing point seared his head, engulfing his brain flame. He soon fell forward, dead. Hardly any matter seeped out; leaks were burned off._

 _"Why did you attack the village?" Strider asked quietly. When none answered, he quickly sliced off the heads of two more orcs. Black blood geysered as their heads flopped to the ground, their bodies falling just short of the fire._

 _"WHY?!" Strider roared, his fury at a tipping point. As an orc spat on him, however, Strider had his answer. "So be it."_

 _With a vicious anger, Strider began to take his sword to the remaining orcs. He brutalized them; opting to let a few bleed out, while others had their end come quickly. He placed his hand on the chest of a particular orc before he started to let off burst after burst. After a couple of hits, the heart had burst out the back of the orc, the vessels snapping off as black blood poured from it. It continued until only one orc remained. Strider maneuvered the fire into a long whip that started to work its way up the orc's legs, searing and blistering its bulging skin. The orc cried and screamed in pain, but Strider was unrelenting. As two strands of fire worked their way up, the began to move in front of the orc's eyes._

 _"Why did you take the Elf's heart?" Strider asked, leaning in close._

 _"O-orders. B-Black Hand," the orc finally snarled._

 _"Where is he?!" Strider asked._

 _"Near A-Amon Lanc," the orc replied. With a scoff, Strider left. The only sound that remained was that of the final orc screaming in pain as the fire strands burrowed themselves deep into his eyes, burning through._

 _-o-_

 _As Strider finally made it to his horse, he leaned his head against it and sighed._

 _"Mirkwood," he whispered to it. With a neigh, his steed rushed off._

 _-o-_

 _"Hmph. And I thought that you of all people would've been able to break him," a woman scoffed, speaking to Tower just outside the metal gate. Strider was on his knees, blood and slashes covering his body. However, he couldn't feel much of the pain; his focus was entirely on listening._

 _"Silence, She-Witch! Do not—" Tower began before the woman shushed him._

 _"Orcs and men may fear you, but I do not. My orders come from much higher," she said, caressing the helmet that Tower wore. "That's a good Black Captain. It's good to know that when the Númenóreans fell, they at least managed to retain some of their manners despite their honor being all but lost. How it must feel to be considered so… worthless."_

 _Strider couldn't help but let out a little chuckle at hearing how she spoke to him._

 _"I must be off, now. You've your orders as well," she said, opening the gate to his room._

 _"Wh—" Tower began before she cut him off again._

 _"While your kind lost their manners, I've retained all of mine. I couldn't leave without seeing my favorite prisoner one more time," she said, entering. Her skin was tan and her raven black hair cascaded down her back. Strider could make out the hilts of the daggers she wore as well as the grip of a whip. She wore a light leather armor that protected everything - save for her hands, which remained ungloved._

 _"I'm afraid this is where we part for now," she said, wiping the blood along Strider's cheek. "Don't worry, though. I'll be back."_

 _"Take your time," Strider retorted immediately, eliciting a laugh._

 _"You couldn't even stop him from speaking? Why you were chosen, I'll never know. Until my return, my sweet prisoner," she said, licking the blood on her finger before taking her leave. Tower snarled as she was out of sight, eliciting a laugh from Strider._

 _"Looks like she took your manhood as well, Tower. Isn't it time for you to run along as well?" Strider asked mockingly. Tower immediately smashed him with a hard right, drawing fresh blood._

 _"You talk far too much, Dúnedan," Tower said._

 _"I have to entertain myself somehow, locked away in here. Unless you'd like to let me go?" Strider offered._

 _"The last of a dying breed. We've no need for you," Tower said._

 _"You can just kill me right now. You'll earn her ire, but that's about it," Strider laughed. Tower snarled before he began to turn. "Ah! But I've one more question."_

 _"And what is it?" Tower asked._

 _"Where is Black Hand?" Strider asked. Tower turned slowly to him, an ugly look on his face._

 _"None of your concern," he said before he took his leave. Strider watched him go, fury in his eyes._

 _-o-_

 _Over the course of the next several days, Strider learned that Tower had left. A particularly nasty orc was left to take care of him. The orc relished in exacting a pound of flesh from him every time he brought him his food, making sure to shove the moldy cheese and bread down his throat before pouring a disgusting hot amber down it._

 _Before the orc showed up with dinner that evening, Strider finally heard an interesting bit of news._

 _"The Black Captains are on the move to Umbar," the orc snarled. "We've gotten orders to send some of ours."_

 _"About time. I'm getting bored here! No man, no woman, no elf!" the orc at the gate lamented._

 _"So, why are the Black Captains going to Umbar?" Strider asked as soon as the orc entered._

 _"And why would I tell you?" the orc asked, spitting._

 _"What else do I have to look forward to?" Strider asked. The orc snarled as he forced Strider to open his mouth. Instead of eating the bread, however, Strider lunged forward and bit deep into the orc's fingers. The bite was hard enough to tear off the middle one, which he just managed to spit out - but not before the blood got down his throat. Strider coughed viciously while the orc screamed in pain. Several more entered and began to beat down on Strider, who simply let them. He wrapped one of the chains that latched his wrist to the wall around the neck of an orc and began to squeeze until life left it; all the while, they continued to beat him._

 _"DAMN YOU ALL! CAN'T YOU EVEN HANDLE ONE MAN!?" another orc shouted as he entered. This one was a bit bigger than the others and carried a silver chain around his neck. As soon as he entered, however, the chain flew immediately into the locks that chained Strider. With several satisfying clicks, the chains fell away and Strider felt his strength begin to return. Taking the chains as a whip, he wrapped one around the neck of another orc and snapped its head back. He began to swing the chain around, knocking out several more._

 _"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN FROM HERE?!" the commanding orc roared at him. Strider quickly flung him back and took his sword before running it through the orc. He stabbed the orc several more times, none of them fatal._

 _"My clothes and weapons! TELL ME!" Strider demanded. The orc coughed blood on him, but Strider would have his way. He plunged the sword several inches into the orcs right thigh and began carving down. The orcs screams were terrible, but music to Strider's ears. He plunged his hand into the wound he had caused and grabbed a hold of the bone. He began to pull it away from the leg, eliciting the loudest scream yet._

 _"STOP IT! STOP!" the orc roared. This was the first time Strider heard one cry for mercy, a sound that delighted him._

 _"My things," Strider whispered, grabbing the orcs few strands of wispy hair in his other hand._

 _"Main room!" the orc shouted. "MERCY!"_

 _"No," Strider whispered. With a vicious rip, he tore the bone out. The orcs howl was heard throughout Mirkwood, putting the other creatures on nerves and muscles swung as he brought the bone above his head and brought it down on the head of the orc. With several crushing blows, the orc's skull had caved in. As it fell dead, Strider looked around the room; the other orcs were either dead, dying, or unconscious. As he left, he brought the ceiling of the room down._

 _-o-_

 _With a sigh, Strider exited Dol Guldur and stood atop its highest tower. A soft drizzle had begun, washing away much of the blood. He began to wipe his face and body, grimacing as he took stock. The woman and Tower had done a number on him, but he was satisfied that they left so unsatisfied. A torch of everlasting fire burned nearby. He telekinetically twisted and curved the fire into a long, thin strand that he began to snake around his body, resting it above the fresh scars and rips in his skin. He outstretched his arms, making sure to take full stock of the damage. In a single movement, he pressed the flame to his skin and cauterized the open wounds._

 _'It'll do,' Strider thought._

 _He had finished putting on his clothes and was about to turn to leave when a swift movement rushed past his cheek - opening up a fresh wound._

 _"Halt! Turn around, slowly!" came a voice behind him. It was a sweet voice, however - melodic and peaceful to his ears, unlike the orcish tongue. He did as the voice asked, sighing peacefully as he saw who it was that shot at him._

 _Two Woodland Elves stood before him. One was a tall and lean man with shoulder length black hair; the other was a just as tall woman with waist length blonde hair that gleamed like a river of light. They stared intently at Strider, who looked back calmly._

 _"Who're you?" the man asked._

 _"My name is Strider," he answered._

 _"Strider? I see. An interesting name; I know one that goes by it! But what are you doing here, Strider?" the man asked._

 _"I was indisposed. Just managed to break out, luckily enough," Strider said._

 _"Ah. Strider. It's good to see you again," another voice suddenly said. Strider stood upright and greeted the new arrival. He was a beautiful man that wore a unique robe that glistened like a star. His wise eyes took stock of the landscape before falling on Strider, at whom he smiled._

 _"My lord, Thranduil," Strider said, bringing a hand to his chest._

 _"I see that we've you to thank for what happened in here," Thranduil said._

 _"Forgive me, sir," Strider said._

 _"Do not worry yourself. We were ready to bring Dol Guldur down today as well. It's just as well that it was already done for us. But I must ask what you're doing here?" Thranduil said._

 _"A long story, sir," Strider sighed._

 _"I wish to hear it. Come," Thranduil ordered. Strider immediately followed_

 _As he was flanked by the two elves who remained on edge, Strider suddenly stopped._

 _"Go ahead," Thranduil said with a slight smile. Strider nodded before he looked behind. His eyes fell upon the shell of the castle like structure that remained. Holding his hand out, he began to concentrate his power on it. It was several seconds before the elves heard a rumbling. Their eyes snapped back to the castle which suddenly began to crumble. Thousands of tons of stone hurtled and crashed into the ground, permanently burying whatever was unlucky enough to be caught in its way._

-o-

Strider awoke with a sudden gasp, a cold sweat all over his body. He grunted as he felt his body ache. Immediately, however, his hand flew to his face - his fear confirmed. He sprang to his feet but almost buckled yet again. Slowly, he went to the mirror.

The left side of his face was all but destroyed. It was garish and skeletal; the cheek was all but destroyed, showing the teeth and gums underneath; his left eye was a milky white while the area surrounded it was burned to the bone. His hand gently touched the necklace that he wore, thankful that it was intact.

"God dammit!" he finally roared, punching the mirror in anger. It took him several minutes to bring his magic - and himself - under control. When he opened his eyes again, his face was back to normal. Gently, he touched it again, satisfied with the result. As he began to walk back to his bed, however, his legs failed him; he fell with a thud that reverberated through the hotel.

No more than a few seconds later, the door burst open.

"STRIDER!" Mira shouted as she quickly rushed to his side. With Erza's help, they stood him up and walked him over to the bed.

"What do you think you're doing?! You need rest!" Erza berated him. His hands flew to his ears, pained by the voice.

"Shh! Quieter!" Mira hissed to her. Erza let out a cute yelp before apologizing.

"It's fine," Strider said, his breathing at ease. "Are you two ok?"

"We should be asking you that!" Mira said, giving him a soft hug. Strider felt exalted as he felt her tender touch. He returned the hug, pulling Erza in as well. The three held it for what felt like infinity before they finally laid him back down. Mira began to wipe off the sweat while Erza got him something to drink.

"How is everyone?" Strider asked as he let Mira work.

"Shhhh," she shushed him gently, pressing a finger to his lips. "Everyone is fine. Just resting. You've been out for a couple of hours is all. The guilds have gone back to their hotels. We're the only ones still up."

"My apologies," Strider said.

"Apologies? We're just waiting for you to get better so we can thank you properly," she said with a watery smile. Quickly, Mira stole a kiss from him.

"Now is not the time, Mirajane!" Erza hissed as she reentered the room as well. "Are you okay?"

"I… I think so. More than okay, actually. Let—" he began to get up but was gently pushed back down.

"You're not going anywhere. You need to sleep," Mira said gently. Although she had many questions, the only thing more important than the answers was his well being.

"I—" Strider began.

"Please. Please," Mira said. As Strider saw the worry in her eyes, he sighed. With a nod, he got comfortable and closed his eyes. Mira gently stroked his hair while Erza rested a warm hand on his stomach, halfway between worry and excitement. Satisfied that he was asleep, the two softly left the room.

-o-

"How is he?" Lucy demanded as soon as they got out.

"Is my love alright?!" Juvia squealed fretfully.

"He's fine," Mira said gently, leading the girls back to her room. "Just tired and sore. Lis, can you let everyone know to get some rest? I don't think he's gonna be up until morning."

"Sure," Lisanna chirped, rushing downstairs.

"Is he really fine?" Bisca asked quietly.

"I think so. I don't think he can stand right now, though," Mira said worriedly.

"With the damage to his ankles, I'm not surprised," Cana said.

"It's more than that, I think. He could use his telekinesis to keep himself up. He just seems… I dunno, drained," Mira said.

"Think he used to much magic during the fight?" Jenny asked.

"Partly. He took a few hard hits as well, remember?" Erza said.

"Mira…" Jenny began, suddenly uncomfortable.

"I didn't ask. Now's not the time," Mira said warningly. With a sigh, Jenny agreed.

"That was so scary," Lucy sighed, collapsing on Mira's bed.

"No kidding. God, I just wanna get drunk right now," Cana said, rubbing her face.

"We all do," Bisca said. She quickly went down and got a few drinks of them as well as a barrel for Cana.

"What do you think's gonna happen next?" Jenny asked.

"I dunno. I just hope they leave him alone. There's gonna be a lot of questions," Erza said.

"No kidding. Ugh. Maybe Master Makarov can talk to them or something," Cana said.

"Some of the king's men tried to get in an hour ago. He just sent them away. No one's allowed to get in unless they're permitted by Fairy Tail," Bisca said.

"Enough talk for now, you guys. We all should get some rest soon as well," Mira said.

"You downed like 20 cups of coffee. You're not sleeping anytime soon," Jenny said lamely.

"Well, if he needs—" Mira began.

"I can do that!" Jenny interrupted.

"As if! I'm on his team, remember!" Lucy countered.

"As am I," Erza reminded her.

"He's my beloved!" Juvia shouted.

-o-

Once he was sure that they were gone, Strider sat up quietly. Holding his hand out, Anglachel flew to his hand. Strider had half a mind to break the sword at the hilt, but knew that was impossible.

"You're one hell of a bastard," Strider sighed, resting the tip on the ground and his head against the pommel. His sword quivered gently before stopping.

"That should be satisfying for now. We'll find some more later," he said quietly. It quivered once again, going for a good minute before stopping.

"I'll see it done regardless of what you wish. Remember that you remain to serve me from now on. Keep that in mind, relic," Strider said dangerously. The sword was still before it quivered quickly and stopped almost immediately. Satisfied, Strider placed it against the wall before he laid back down, letting screams and dreams wash over him once more.

-o-

"Nobody knows that dragons attacked last night?" Goldmine asked Makarov early the following morning. The Masters of each guild, Jura, and Yajima were assembled in a private location, tired but alert.

"That appears to be the case," Makarov said contemplatively.

"A curious happening," Jura mused.

"What's the story the kingdom is feeding their citizens?" Master Bob asked.

"That the wizards destroyed everything! I'll spin them," Ooba said as she twirled her fingers.

"Now, now - they need to tell them something, no?" asked a beautiful woman with a light smile. She had darkish-brown skin and long black hair with a purple tint that was tied in a high ponytail. She wore an orange vest and black pants, her cat-like eyes darting between the Masters.

"I suppose so, Yoruichi. That said, would've been nice if they filled us in as well," Goldmine sighed.

"Come on, now - we're just Guild Masters. Royalty has a front to keep, even when they're the ones stupid enough to get us into a mess like this in the first place," Yoruichi said with a smirk.

"Careful not to let any of the king's men hear you," Jura sighed, rubbing his brows - she was always like this.

"We got lucky last night," Makarov said, his mind on the dragons.

"Indeed. If Lucy and Yukino hadn't closed the Gate when they did, the outcome would have been drastically different," Jura said.

"Not just that. If Strider wasn't here…" Goldmine said, but trailed off as the other mages agreed.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again - that's quite the Wizard you have, Mocky," Yajima said.

"Damn straight," Makarov grinned, punching the air.

"I just don't see how it's fair that you get someone so powerful AND handsome," Master Bob said, sighing.

"Sure you don't wanna trade?" Yoruichi asked Makarov.

"I thought Mermaid Heel was girls only?" Goldmine asked.

"It is. He's got shoulder length hair, though! I'm sure we can pretty him up enough to have him join," Yoruichi laughed.

"Joking aside, he's a force to be reckoned with. We should be thankful we had someone with his experience on board last night. Although it goes without saying that we need to be watchful as well - especially going forward," Ooba said seriously.

"You think he'd turn?" Goldmine asked, his eyes looking over each Master.

"Probably not. The boy seems grounded. But we should probably be watchful," Bob agreed.

"Goldmine?" Yajima asked.

"I agree as well," Goldmine nodded. "Yoruichi?"

"You all need to relax a bit," she sighed, eliciting a few raised eyebrows. "There's being serious and then there's being too serious. I'm sure Master Makarov will keep an eye on him. Don't try to stifle him, though. That won't work well for anyone."

"You speak as though you know him," Goldmine inferred.

"I've met people like him. Probably not as strong as him, but plenty strong enough. You try to trap a cat and it'll lash out," Yoruichi said wisely. The others mulled over what she said before finally agreeing.

-o-

"Feeling better?" Mira asked as she popped her head into Strider's room.

"Much. Thank you," Strider said as he slowly sat up, rubbing his face.

"Here, I'll help," Mira said, slinging his arm around her shoulder and leading him to the bathroom.

"Ah. Well, to be honest, I'm at a loss for words. I won't say no to help, but I'm not sure now's the best time," he laughed.

"Ugh. Don't make me put you to sleep again," she said warningly.

"Right. Right. My bad," he said, stepping in and freshening up.

"Are you sure you're alright, though?" Mira asked from outside.

"I am. A little sore, but so long as no more dragons are around, I'll be fine in a day or so," Strider said.

"Good. We were really worried," Mira said.

"Forgive me for worrying you. And thank you for taking such good care of me, Mira," Strider said.

"Don't mention it. It's literally the least we could've done," she said.

"How are you, though? Were you injured at all?" Strider asked.

"We had a little bit of trouble when we were trying to rescue Lucy and Yukino, but no one is seriously hurt. You're the one who took most of the damage," Mira said.

"Job hazard," Strider sighed as he exited.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Dragon Slayer. Come on, ti—" Mira began.

"Ah, please no more bed rest! I can't be confined for so long," Strider said.

"Let's head downstairs, then," Mira said.

-o-

"Good to see you're up," Macao said, throwing Strider some water.

"No kidding. Great job last night," Wakaba grinned.

"Thank you, thank you," Strider said graciously.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Wendy asked.

"I am. Thanks, Wendy," Strider said, giving the young Dragon Slayer a quick hug before sitting at a table near the window.

"Good to see you're up now," Cana said, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Good to be up. How are you?" he asked.

"We're the ones who should be asking you that," she sighed. "Better rest up before tonight, though."

"What's tonight?" Strider asked interestedly.

"The king is throwing a party. All of the Guilds invited," Cana said.

"Apparently, there's going to be some kind of announcement as well," Bisca said, bringing Strider something to eat.

"Of what?" Cana asked.

"Not sure. It's being kept a secret," Bisca.

"More games?" Erza asked.

"I hope not. No more fighting," Lucy said lamely.

"Anyways, you ladies ready?" Cana asked.

"Hmm? For what?" Strider asked.

"We're gonna go shopping. New dresses for tonight," she said with a smirk.

"Sounds fun. Where to first?" Strider asked.

"Ha! No boys allowed," Cana said, tracing his cheek with a finger.

"I'm certain I could help," Strider said.

"Uh-huh but nu-uh," Cana giggled.

"Take it easy, okay? Don't stress yourself," Mira said softly, giving him a quick kiss on his cheek before taking her leave, Juvia hot on her tail. Cana, Bisca, Lucy, and Erza followed, doing the same. With a grin, Strider finished his meal before taking his leave as well.

-o-

As he walked around Crocus with nothing to do, Strider gleaned some information of what was going on. No one seemed to be aware of the dragon attack - it was all chalked up to the wizards. Several people were talking about festivities that were being planned for the city and wizards, as well as a massive party a week later that was supposed to include dignitaries from foreign countries.

"Hello, Ultear," Strider said as he came upon the purple-haired beauty sitting on a bench. She seemed to be in deep thought, not noticing him upon her.

"Strider! Hello! How are you? Are you better?" she asked, about to get up.

"Please, don't get up on my account. May I?" he asked.

"Sure. You're okay, right?" she asked nervously.

"I am. Still a bit sore, but nothing terrible," Strider said. He gently massaged his legs, kneading the muscles. "I don't suppose your Arc of Time Magic works on people?"

"How'd you know about that?" she asked, surprised.

"I suppose I did my research," he said with a small smile.

"I would if I could. Unfortunately, it only works on inanimate or nonsentient things," Ultear sighed.

"I suppose that's just as well," Strider sighed. Looking sideways, he saw a contemplative look on her face. "Everything alright?"

"It is. I was just thinking," she said.

"What about?" he asked.

"I don't want to bore you," she sighed.

"Not at all. I'm in the mood for listening," he said. Ultear took a deep breath, wondering what she wanted to tell him.

"It's… about what happened last night, with the dragons. Have I told you much about myself?" she asked.

"Not at all," Strider said, his interest piqued. While he wasn't completely trusting of Ultear, her actions in helping handle the hatchlings was admirable enough to warm him to her a bit.

"When I was born, I was overflowing with magic - to the point that it made me sick. My mother, Ur, took me to the Bureau of Magical Development so they could help me but they didn't do anything. They told her that I died when she came to check on me, but all the while they were experimenting. I thought she had abandoned me," Ultear said, clenching her fists. Whenever she thought about that dreadful place, her anger would flare - as would her magic. Slowly, she calmed down before speaking again. "When I left that place and found her, she had already taken in Lyon and Gray - and I thought she had replaced me. She looked so happy. After that, I began to develop my Magic. It wasn't long I joined Grimoire Heart. It's where I learned Arc of Time Magic, in fact. I've always wanted to change my past - my upbringing and I thought I could with Hades. It's also how I met Jellal and Meredy. I was the one who manipulated Jellal into creating the Tower of Heaven and committing those atrocities. I was the one who destroyed Meredy's village… but took her in. I've done so many horrendous things in my life. But after my encounter with Gray on Tenrou Island, and when my mother's memories came back to me, something inside me changed. Every time I've hurt someone since then has hurt me more. Even when I was releasing everyone's second origins, I couldn't bear to see them in that much pain anymore…" Ultear trailed off as she began to cry. Strider rubbed her back gently, comforting her as she began to steady her now ragged breathing.

"Last night, I was ready to use a spell that I had learned - to change it all. It's known as Last Ages. The user gives up their own time - their own life - to rewind it for the world. I was about to use it… when…" she stopped, unable to say the words.

"You decided not to," Strider said knowingly. She looked at him with red eyes and nodded.

"I was afraid," she said fearfully.

"It's a good thing you didn't," Strider said as she looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Forgive me, but I think you might be overestimating yourself. The world is a big place, and your time in comparison isn't very much. In fact, your life is more a blink of an eye on that scale. If you had used that magic, I'm not sure how far back you could've turned time. Ten seconds, maybe? A minute at most, if I had to guess. You would've thrown your life away for something that may not have helped very much. No, it's good that you didn't go through with it. After all, your guild has a lot of work ahead of it still, no?" Strider asked with a small smile.

"But that's not it…" she said. Strider looked at her curiously.

"The Rogue from the Future had already beaten Natsu when Meredy and I found him. I was ready to kill Rogue - our Rogue - to stop that from happening. I was so close… so close… so…" Ultear trailed off.

"But you didn't, and that's what matters," Strider said. "Are you afraid of reverting to your old self?"

"Very afraid," Ultear said.

"Good. Hold on to that. It'll keep you grounded," Strider said.

"Speaking from experience?" Ultear asked, looking sideways at him.

"Unfortunately," Strider sighed. "You're doing good now. It's not going to wipe your slate clean - nothing will. But it's better that you realize and make a positive change than fall back into that cycle. Your actions are more important than your thoughts when it comes to making that particular decision. I did do some follow up your exploits with Crime Sorcière. A few broken bones, but no casualties. Hold on to your regret, but don't let it consume you."

"And does that work for you?" Ultear asked.

"This isn't about me," Strider said with a pained smile. "If all else fails, think of Meredy. She thinks of you as a mother. Would you abandon her?"

"Of course not!" Ultear said indignantly.

"Hold on to that as well, then," Strider said, slowly trying to get up. Ultear slung his arm around her shoulder and hoisted him up.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked nervously.

"I am. Sorry about that," he said.

"No worries," she said softly.

"You should ask the question, by the way," Strider said knowingly.

"What question?" she wondered.

"Whatever Jellal told you," Strider said.

"Ah. That. Sorry," Ultear said.

"It's fine. What do you wish to know?" he asked.

"Jellal told me about your… talk with him. He mentioned that you were able to shut his Magic off. He's one of the strongest wizards I know," Ultear said.

"I didn't shut his Magic off. I just made it so he couldn't cast any spell. More binding than anything, really. Wizards here seem to have to chant or motion to use their spells. If you're immobile, you can't do much, can you?" Strider asked.

"You're saying you don't need to?" Ultear asked. Suddenly the wind around them stopped moving. Ultear looked around, a sudden sense of excitement and fright welling up in her.

"It took me a long time to get to that point," Strider said, looking around.

"You were using motions during the third event," Ultear said.

"That was more for the crowd than anything. Some habits are hard to break, though. I can concentrate better when I use my fingers to aid my Magic," Strider said.

"Your Magic is pretty impressive," she said.

"I'm certainly fond of it. What do you think Jellal, Meredy?" Strider asked, a bit louder. Ultear sighed as the two came out, slightly embarrassed.

"Sorry about that," Meredy said sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. I take it you two are well?" Strider asked.

"Pretty good, all things considered," Jellal said

"Good to hear. I trust I'll see you at the party tonight? Might take some ingenuity on your part, but I'm sure you can pull it off," Strider said as he walked away.

Meredy suddenly had a devious look on her face.

"Meredy, we cannot be seen there!" Ultear said, exasperated.

"But Strider said we could!" Meredy whined and pouted at the two. With a glance at each, Ultear and Jellal sighed and nodded. Meredy jumped for joy, formulating a plan while the other two watched Strider's receding figure.

"It doesn't look like he completely trusts us yet," Jellal said.

"It might take a while. But are you sure that's what you're really worried about?" Ultear asked, elbowing him suggestively. Jellal simply shook his head as he walked away.

-o-

"So many clothes," Lucy drooled.

"Have your pick," Mira giggled.

"WHOA! HOW MUCH IS THIS THING?!" Lucy exclaimed, holding up a stunning pink dress.

"Pretty expensive, but it's free for Jenny and me so it's free for you guys as well," Mira said.

"I love you, Mirajane!" Lucy squealed, hugging the white haired beauty tightly. Mira giggled and returned the hug before she began trying on new outfits.

"Mira! How's this?" Cana asked, wearing a stunning yellow dress.

"Hot," Mira smirked.

"Transformation makes this so much easier," Jenny said, shifting into a sexy black dress.

"No fair," Lucy whined, in the middle of putting one on the old fashioned way.

-o-

Leaving Crime Sorcière to plan their break-in into the king's party tonight, Strider began walking through Crocus again. He seemed to have made many fans during the games; everywhere he went, he got cheers, people asking for autographs, as well as much romantic interest from men and women alike.

"I've never seen anyone like you!"

"Are going to participate again next year?!"

"Mr. Strider, an interview!"

"Mr. Strider, how'd you get so strong?" a little girl asked. Strider smiled gently as knelt near her.

"Years of training. You need to always be striving to get better," he said kindly.

"But how will I know if I'm ready?" she asked.

"Hmm… good question. Instinct, I think. You'll just know," Strider said.

"Could I get as strong as you?" she wondered.

"Ha. Train hard enough, and you'll beat me no problem," Strider said, ruffling her hair. The girl smiled wide before running off, mind ablaze with excitement.

"That was kind of you," said a voice from behind. As Strider turned, he saw Kagura and Millianna.

"Kagura, Millianna. A pleasure to see you both," he said to the two.

"Meow - you too!" Millianna said as she hugged him. "WOAH! YOU'RE SO WARM! NO WONDER ERZY LIKES YOU!"

"Don't let her hear you say that," Strider laughed.

"Speaking of which, do you know where she is?" Millianna asked.

"I believe she's shopping with Mira and the others. Not sure where, though," Strider said.

"Kagura, I'm gonna go look for Erzy. I'll see you two tonight!" Millianna said as she ran off.

"Your actions last night were really something else," Kagura said as she and Strider began walking. Strider noted a change in her; she spoke to him as one usually would instead of in her always stern tone.

"Thank Natsu, Lucy, Mira, and Yukino. They got the Gate shut and destroyed. I was at my wit's end by the end of it all," Strider sighed.

"I saw. Are you feeling alright?" Kagura asked. "Sorry. You must be getting that a lot today."

"Ha. A bit, but yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," Strider said.

"What?" Kagura asked, blushing a bit as she noticed him looking at her.

"Sorry. It's just that we haven't spoken much. This might be the first conversation we've had," Strider said sheepishly.

"Oh. Forgive me. I… was going through a difficult time," Kagura said uncomfortably.

"No need to explain it to me. I'm willing to listen in case you do want to talk, however," Strider said.

"I appreciate it," she said softly.

-o-

"Hello, Strider," Mavis said as she came up behind Strider as he sat down again.

"Hello, Master Mavis. What brings you here?" he asked kindly, moving to give her some room.

"The city is very beautiful so I thought I'd enjoy it. I was walking when I noticed your presence. I hope I'm not interrupting," she said.

"Not at all. It's always nice to have company," he said.

"You made an impressive showing last night. Slaying a single dragon is a feat anyone can be proud of, but slaying three on your own and convincing two more to kill each other? That's something else," she said.

"I would've preferred slaying none," Strider said simply.

"I think everyone would've preferred that. But we can't do anything about that now," she sighed. "I'm happy to see that you're better, at least."

"I'm curious, Master Mavis - will you head back to Tenrou Island after the festivities end? I daresay we all love having you around," Strider said, making Mavis smile.

"I have been thinking about staying a bit longer. It's not very nice to be alone for so long," she said sadly. Strider put a hand on her shoulder. Surprisingly, it didn't go through her like a normal ghost - she almost felt corporeal.

"You're never alone. We're all family in Fairy Tail, aren't we?" he asked quietly.

"Wise words," she said.

"It helps to be surrounded by those wiser than I," he replied. They sat in silence for a little bit before she spoke again.

"There's something I'd like to speak to you about," she began.

"What is it?" Strider asked.

"As we brought you back to the hotel, your face was…" Mavis trailed off.

"Ah. Right. Yes, I was wondering when someone would ask," Strider said, rolling his neck. "It's what happens when you take your eyes off a dragon."

"A dragon?" Mavis asked, shocked.

"Yes. A particularly nasty one from my homeland. He gave it to me as a… memory. I learned quickly how to conceal it, but it requires me to always divert Magic to it. I can keep it up when I'm asleep or otherwise preoccupied, but when I'm unconscious, the effects wear off," Strider said, rolling his neck again.

"I'm surprised you survived," Mavis frowned.

"No one is more surprised than me," Strider said. She was silent a while longer. When Strider turned to her, she looked a bit uncomfortable. "What is it, Master?"

"I… was wondering. Do you have any more Fairy things from your homeland?" she asked nervously. Strider held back a laugh that was threatening to spill forth; the First Master seemed to have been contemplating the question for a while now. Opening up a pocket dimension, Strider fished around before pulling something out. Strider placed a silver crown on her head

"Wow…" Mavis said as she picked it up, amazed by the beauty.

"A gift that I had commissioned by a friend. Enjoy it," Strider said.

"Really?" she asked excitedly.

"Certainly. Just be careful with it, please. It's… important to me," Strider said.

"Thank you, Strider!" she said as she ran off to have some fun and no doubt surprise a few people - someone was bound to notice a crown floating around the city.

"That was kind of you," came Master Makarov's voice from behind. Strider smiled as the master sat down next to him. "You've certainly grown more powerful since you first joined us at Fairy Tail."

"It's an enjoyable place to be. Thank you all for taking me in so readily," Strider said.

"Not at all my boy, not at all," Makarov said.

"A question, Master. Before the S-Class Trials began, Mira mentioned something about a Decade and Century Quest," Strider suddenly said. The thought had just hit him; it was something that piqued his interest since he learned about them, but an opportunity to attempt one hadn't come up yet.

"Correct. There are the normal jobs that anyone can take. Above that, as you know, there are S-Class requests that only S-Class Wizards are allowed to take on alone. Above those are SS-Class requests, and above those are Decades Quests - quests that no one has completed in ten years," Makarov said.

"As in they were posted more than ten years ago, right?" Strider asked.

"Indeed. But there's one more level above that: Century Quests. Jobs that have been available for over one hundred years that no one has completed. Gildarts took on one of these. As far as I know, he's the only person to come back from one alive. Although, as you saw, he barely did so," Makarov said as Strider nodded.

"Hmm…" Strider thought.

"Thinking of taking one on?" Makarov asked, grinning slightly.

"With your blessing," Strider said as he nodded at Makarov.

"I think after that showing last night, you might be the first person that could take on a Century Quest and finish it! If you feel the same way when we get back to Magnolia, I'll allow you to take it," Makarov said.

"Looks like not even the Master of the Guild plays by its rules. I thought you'd try to convince me not to," Strider said with a grin that Makarov returned.

"If all we did was follow rules, the world would be a much more boring place," Makarov said as he got up; Strider did as well.

"I look forward to it," Strider said.

'That kid might actually do it,' Makarov thought, chuckling to himself.

'Hmm… I wonder what kind of quest this is?' Strider thought, a mad gleam in his eyes.

-o-

"That intoxicating parfum can belong only to one man!" Ichiya said dramatically as he turned and beheld the sight. "Strider! Your work last night was truly something to behold.

"Thank you, Master Ichiya. But without the joint effort of all the Guilds, we might not have succeeded," Strider said.

"Still, it was pretty impressive," Eve said.

"Extremely," Hibiki agreed.

"Yeah, it was alright," Ren said, betraying a slight bit of intrigue as well.

"You're all too kind," Strider said, smiling.

"I must say, you and Jenny are getting along quite well! Do I detect the parfum of romance?" Ichiya asked, eyeing Strider who chuckled a bit.

"That's for us to know and others to try to find out," Strider said.

"The parfum of secrecy. Quite a scent!" Ichiya said, dramatically.

"So Ren, when are you and Sherry tying the knot?" Strider asked, grinning at the tan Trimen. His friends grinned as well as Ren retreated slightly.

"Tch. As if. She's way too clingy," he said, turning his face to hide the blush that adorned it. He wouldn't admit it, but he and Sherry were definitely steady going.

"RENNY!" they heard a voice call out. Sherry was heading right at them at top speed. Accompanying her was Shelia, Lyon, Yuka, Toby, and Jura. She jumped right into Rens' arms. His cool demeanor faltered as he embraced her tightly.

"Greetings Ren, Hibiki, Eve, Ichiya, Strider," Jura said to nods all around.

"Hey, Strider! Have you seen Wendy around?" Shelia asked brightly.

"Hi, Shelia. Not since last night. I think she's either at the hotel or shopping for the party tonight," he said.

"How about Juvia?" Lyon asked as Strider chuckled.

"Shopping, I believe. But I'm not sure w—" Strider began before Lyon ran off to find her.

"The Wizard Saints and Magic Council are eager to meet you," Jura said as he and Strider began walking.

"For the sake of doing so?" Strider asked.

"I don't think so. I get the feeling they'll want to keep tabs on you," Jura said.

"Understandable, especially after last night. As long as they don't impede me, I'm happy to meet them," Strider said.

"We still need to set up a time to visit your fortress," Jura added as Strider nodded.

"Agreed. How about sometime after all the festivities have ended?" Strider asked as Jura nodded.

"That should work. I've no doubt that just as many questions as answers will pop up," Jura sighed.

"Exciting, no?" Strider asked.

"Indeed," Jura laughed.

"What should I expect from the Magic Council?" Strider asked.

"They'll want to know your backstory, how you slew Acnologia, why you brought him there and didn't tell anyone. Mostly common sense questions," Jura said.

"They may not like some of the answers they get," Strider said with a light laugh as Jura smiled.

"I've no doubt about that, either," Jura said. He bid Strider a short farewell until the party and left.

-o-

Night was about to descend as Strider found himself on the highest point in Crocus. He observed the destruction that was still waiting to be cleaned up. He had one more task to accomplish before heading to the party.

He knelt down, preparing himself mentally and physically for what he was about to do. He focused all the energy into his mind and body. He could feel the movement of the wind and the hustle and bustle of the people in the streets; he could feel the energy of the mages that were in the city; he could hear conversations being held miles away with pitch perfect clarity; he could taste the slight salt in the air that flew in from many more miles away; he could smell the smallest flower in the gardens. He focused all that energy into his mind and body. Finally, he let it all flow around him.

People gasped in surprise and shock as they saw the scene unfold. The debris had begun to clean itself up! One by one, slowly, surely, the buildings began to rebuild themselves.

-o-

"Whoa."

"What's going on?"

"The building… is it… what is this?"

-o-

The Wizards were just as surprised as they saw the event unfold.

-o-

"Those were the buildings the dragons destroyed, weren't they?" Freed asked.

"Yeah… but it looks like they're rebuilding themselves," Laxus said.

-o-

"Ultear?" Jellal asked aloud from elsewhere in the city.

"Not me," Ultear said, also in awe.

-o-

"What's going on, Arcadios?" the king asked his trusted general.

"I'm not sure, sire. But it appears the buildings are being rebuilt," Arcadios said.

"I wasn't aware we had a Wizard like that at our disposal," the king said.

"We don't, sire. This is someone else," Arcadios finished.

-o-

"You guys see that?!" Gray asked.

"I see it… still working on believing," Lyon said, surprised.

-o-

Within an hour, the city was itself again - if one didn't know any better, they could've sworn that it was untouched.

"That's…" Cana said.

"Wild," Bacchus meekly finished.

-o-

 _'Hmm... I'm going to have to work on that before taking it on,'_ Strider thought, a slight smile on his lips.

-o-

"Ah. A hot spring. It's been a while," Strider said, exhaling in delight as he let the hot water course move this body. The party was still an hour away, plenty of time for him to relax. He closed his eyes, hoping for a little more shut-eye. It wasn't long until he heard another splash. Opening an eye, he saw that he was joined by a woman with darkish-brown skin, who was smiling at him.

"Hi there," the woman said.

"Hello. Wizard?" Strider asked.

"Yup. Yoruichi. Master of Mermaid Heel. And you're Strider," she said.

"Correct. It's a pleasure, Master Yoruichi," he said.

"Just Yoruichi. None of this Master crap," she sighed.

"Are you from Fiore, Yoruichi?" he asked.

"Alikitasia," she sighed.

"I see. The situation there and Alvarez must be difficult for you," he said.

"Very. I had to miss the first few days of the Games because I had to help take care of a few things," she sighed.

"Have you learned any more of what happened?" Strider asked.

"Bits and pieces and that's it," Yoruichi sighed.

"Which bits and pieces?" he wondered.

"Why the interest?" she asked.

"Passing curiosity," Strider said.

"Oh, I doubt that," she said. "But as for your question - we found out that the attack was conducted on horseback."

"I'm sorry? Horseback?" Strider asked, surprised.

"That's right. Riders on horseback are responsible for the mass killings. It makes no sense, right? Took me days to find multiple people to corroborate. It's all we've got to go on right now, though," she said. "I had to leave Kagura in charge while my second and third in command assisted me."

"She did an admirable job," Strider said.

"Ha. Of course! I trained her, after all!" Yoruichi said proudly. "I'm curious what you're doing here, though. You don't seem like the hot springs kinda guy."

"It's rare for me, that's for sure. That said, this is pretty nice," Strider said, dipping a bit further.

"No kidding," Yoruichi said, moving a bit closer to his side and dipping in as well. Her catlike eyes stayed fixed to his form, more than a little curious.

"Is there something you'd like to know?" he wondered.

"Oh, you've no idea," she whispered.

"I think I do. Unfortunately, I'm closed for business right now. Please try again later," he said.

"Ha. Relax. I'm not about to spring on you right now. Well… not any questions, at least," she said lasciviously. "Kidding. You're probably too tired for a workout."

"Certainly not. I'm just not sure we have enough time to get one in. The party will be starting soon, after all," he said.

"Mmm… true," she hummed, moving a bit closer until their shoulders touched. Strider and Yoruichi stared intensely at each, wondering what the others move would be.

"Guess you don't get flustered easily," she said.

"I could say the same about you," he said.

"You only live once. Might as well live fully," she whispered with a wry grin as she ran a hand down his torso. As she soon as it dipped below the water, however, she pulled it back up and giggled before stepping out. Strider admired her beautiful body, his eyes slowly taking it all in. "Time for you to get out as well. Care to escort me to the party?"

"I believe my guild is heading over as a team," Strider said.

"My loss," she said.

"Wait," he said.

"Hmm?" she wondered.

"The attack - what else did you learn?" he wondered. Yoruichi just giggled.

"Find me at the party and I'll let you know. Later," she said, taking her leave. Strider sighed as he watched her go.

"Riders, hmm?" he wondered aloud.


	26. Party Favor

As Strider got back to the hotel, the scene was chaotic and uproarious. Everyone was getting ready for the big party, their excitement untenable.

"I just want to know what the big announcement is! IT BETTER BE ANOTHER FIGHT! I DIDN'T GET TO FIGHT THE LAST EVENT!" Natsu roared.

"Aww… I don't wanna fight anyone anymore," Lucy whined.

"I don't think you'd be forced to participate," Erza sighed. It was the that she noticed Strider's return. "Welcome back. You smell nice."

"Hot springs. Much needed rest and relaxation," Strider said.

"You should've invited us," Cana said, hugging him from behind.

"I would've, but you ladies had to go shopping. Get your dresses, then?" he wondered.

"Oh yeah. We're all getting changed once we get over there. It's gonna be a fun night," Cana giggled.

"Feels nice to get a little rest and relaxation in after all the ruckus these Games caused. I just hope Jellal, Meredy, and Ultear will be able to get in," Strider said.

"What? What're you talking about?" Erza asked, walking him away.

"I met Ultear earlier today and told them they should try to attend if they can," Strider said, shrugging.

"Are you insane?! They're all wanted criminals!" Erza said exasperatedly. She'd expect something like this from Natsu, but assumed that Strider would know better.

"Relax, Erza. They were a huge help against the dragons. I'm sure the king will give them a pass," Strider said sheepishly.

"I certainly hope they wouldn't be that stupid," Erza deadpanned.

"Never underestimate one who wants to have fun," Strider laughed. He was about to walk away when he felt her grab on to arm, a look of worry in her eye. Immediately, his smile fell.

"You saw?" he asked quietly.

"Yes," she said uncomfortably. "Wh—"

"Later," he said, taking his leave. Erza sighed and join the others, her mind traveling to his face.

-o-

 _"STRIDER! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? WHAT'S WRONG?!" Erza roared as she flipped him over. Mira and Bisca forced everyone else to back off, giving him the space that he needed. However, as they heard Erza gasp, their heads snapped around._

 _As Mira, Bisca, Cana, Lucy, Juvia, and Jenny joined Erza in surrounding Strider, they looked on terrified at the state of his face. The left side was all but destroyed - harsh and skeletal; the cheek appeared as though it was burned through. They could trace the muscle fibers and see the whites of his teeth. His left eye was a milky white, the area around it burned to the bone._

 _"Oh my God…" Mira said, eyes wide in shock at the state of his face. Juvia suddenly set up a wall of water, intent on keeping prying eyes out._

 _"What happened?" Cana asked quietly._

 _"Did… did this just happen? What the hell?" Bisca asked, bewildered._

 _"He was just fine a moment ago!" Lucy shrieked._

 _"I don't know! HOW WOULD I KNOW?!" Erza asked, a bit irritated that they were asking questions that just couldn't be answered right now._

 _"We have to get him to the hotel. Now," Mira ordered._

 _"Juvia, keep everyone off of us," Erza ordered._

 _"Right," she nodded._

 _"Wendy, Shelia - get Ms. Porlyusica and have her meet us there. Don't tell anyone about this, ok?" Erza said._

 _"A-Alright," Wendy said, afraid for her teammate. She and Shelia rushed off while Erza and Mira slung Strider's arms around their shoulders and carried him to the hotel, the rest of the teams watching in a state of bafflement._

 _-o-_

 _"What is it?" Makarov asked Porlyusica, his brow furrowed._

 _"I've never seen anything like it," the old woman said, although her tone of voice betrayed no sense of surprise. "If I had to say, he was most likely burned by a dragon or something similar."_

 _"But how come we've never seen this?! It just appeared!" Mira said, her voice shrill._

 _"An illusion. I'm only moderately aware of the property behind it. It doesn't take much Magic to use, so most wizards are able to keep it for extended periods of time. It usually only wears off when they fall asleep, unconscious, or out of power," Porlyusica said._

 _"It definitely didn't happen to him when he slept over," Cana muttered, eliciting harsh stares from the others. "What! I'm just saying!"_

 _"She's right. It's never happened before as far as I'm aware," Erza said._

 _"It might've only occurred during the last seven years. Regardless, what the boy needs right now is rest. Don't pester him about it until he's okay," Porlyusica said._

 _"Can't you do anything for it, Ms. Porlyusica?" Bisca asked._

 _"Unfortunately, I can't. There's no remedy for dragon fire in Ishgar. It's likely that the illusion magic is all he has to deal with it. I imagine he's tried to get it fixed otherwise," Porlyusica said._

 _"What about his scars, though? Can't he cover them up as well?" Lucy asked._

 _"He mentioned that some of them are from cursed weapons," Mira said. As she looked at the healer, Porlyusica shook her head._

 _"I put some special cream on some of the smaller ones and was able to hide them. It didn't work on the larger ones," Porlyusica said. Makarov walked her out, leaving the girls with Strider's prone form._

 _"I can't believe it…" Lucy said softly, gently caressing his face._

 _"It's insane. How could he even survive this?" Jenny asked, feeling slightly hollow._

 _"Let's let him get some rest. Come on," Mira whispered, leading the others to her room. As they got settled, their minds stayed in Strider's room._

-o-

Strider saw that Mira was a bit removed from the others, leaning against a wall. He walked over, giving her a hug and eliciting a smile.

"Happy to see that you're feeling better," Mira murmured.

"Thanks in no small part to you and the others. Thanks for taking care of me," he said.

"It's fine. But… what happened?" she asked, frowning.

"Just overloaded, I think," Strider said, reticent to discuss the topic further. "Even for me, fighting so many dragons is difficult."

"You made it seem easy," she mused.

"That's the key - make it look easy and disguise the difficulty, so people will be impressed," he laughed.

"Don't do something so stupid again, though," she sighed.

"I'll try my best," he said. That didn't do much to assuage her, however; Mira just sighed again. "What is it?"

"We would've been goners if it wasn't for you," she said, brow furrowed. "We've been getting lazy."

"You really think so?" he asked, surprised.

"We weren't able to help you much last night - not just Fairy Tail, but the other guilds. You practically had to take care of it yourself," she said.

"I'm used to it," Strider said.

"That doesn't really make me feel any better," Mira sighed.

"Everyone gets equal credit, more or less. A few young dragons are difficult, but not impossible. 10,000 dragons, though? I was out after three. If you guys didn't close the Gate - and if Natsu hadn't destroyed it - we all would've been goners. No man is an army, after all," Strider said.

"You just might be," she said, managing a short giggle. They both fell silent again, enjoying the rambunctious nature of their friends.

"I wonder if Lisanna will ask Natsu to the party?" Mira wondered, seeing her younger sister giggling at the Fire Dragon Slayer's antics.

"Natsu might be too dense to understand. It's endearing from my point of view, but must be enraging if you're her," Strider chuckled.

"They'd make such a cute couple," Mira cooed. "They were always hanging out with each other as kids. Did you know that she and Natsu were the ones who found Happy?"

"I didn't. What happened?" Strider asked.

"Happy hatched from an egg that Natsu and Lisanna had found when they were younger. They took such good care of it - it was the cutest thing ever!" Mira squealed delightfully. "Lisanna even called herself his wife and Happy's mom."

"That is adorable," Strider chuckled. "Although, doesn't look like Elfman is as eager of the couple as you are."

"Ugh," Mira groaned. Her little brother was grumbling as he saw how Lisanna reacted to Natsu. While he admired the Dragon Slayer as well, his overprotectiveness wouldn't allow him to pass.

"Considering he's hanging around Evergreen all the time, he might not have much room to talk," Strider mused, laughing internally at how the Fairy-Wizard interacted with the macho man.

"I never pegged them together. I thought she'd have more of a thing for Bixlow considering how often the Thunder Legion is together. But I guess not," Mira giggled.

-o-

"Hey, Natsu…," Lisanna suddenly said.

"Huh? What's up, Lisanna?" the Dragon Slayer asked with a grin.

"Do you want to escort me to the ball?" Lisanna asked with a blush.

-o-

"YAY!" Mira cheered, rushing over.

"NOOOO!" Elfman roared, eliciting barely a sigh from the rest of the guild; they already knew the deal.

-o-

"Huh? Aren't we all going with each other?" Natsu wondered. He suddenly felt Strider wrap an arm around his shoulders, nodding safely.

"Do as I say, Natsu - trust me on this. Tell her you'd be happy to," Strider said quietly.

"Huh? Wh-," Natsu began before Strider shook his head.

"Trust me on this. You'll make her really happy if you do," Strider said.

"Uh… okay. I'd be happy to, Lisanna," Natsu said, sweatdropping. Lisanna and Mira giggled, but the younger beauty thought it was at least a step forward.

"WAIT! I DON'T APPROVE OF THIS!" Elfman interjected.

"Too bad," Mira said cheerfully. "Besides, Natsu's great. What's your problem with him?"

"He's… immature!" Elfman contested.

"So are you," Evergreen sighed.

"He does dangerous things! What if Lisanna gets hurt?!" Elfman demanded.

"Risk of joining a guild, little brother," Mira said.

"He's… to old for her!" Elfman shouted.

"We're the same age," Lisanna sweatdropped.

"Well… it… uhh…," Elfman fumbled.

"Relax, Elfman. I'm sure Natsu will take good care of Lisanna if it comes down to it. Besides, with you and Mira looking out for her, I'm sure he won't try anything untoward," Strider said.

"…fine," Elfman sighed.

"Yay!" Lisanna exclaimed, hugging her brother tight.

"Speaking of age, though, Mira - isn't Strider older than you now?" Lisanna asked.

"I almost forgot about that!" Elfman said in horror.

"I - well - look, that - it's… different," Mira said, turning red.

"How?!" Elfman asked.

"A little help, Strider…," Mira grumbled. Strider laughed before quieting down, thinking on how to reply.

"Well, I'm not going to age like you guys will so it's a bit different, I think," Strider finally said. They looked at him in surprise, not sure how to take that.

"What do you mean?" Mira finally asked.

"Well, in another hundred years or so, I'll probably still look like this," Strider said.

"WHAT?! HOW?!" Lisanna asked, shocked.

"The line of men and women that I'm descended from live longer lives - usually a couple of hundred years. So seven years isn't as much to me," Strider said.

"Holy crap, that's gotta be the manliest thing I've ever heard of," Elfman said, awestruck.

"You'll live to be 200?!" Lisanna asked.

"Hopefully," Strider sighed.

"Wow…" Mira said, just as surprised.

"So… are you like a different species or something?" Lisanna asked.

"No, I'm still human. It's a matter of ancestry. The line itself is diluting every generation, though - a few millennia from now, it'll probably be in line with everyone else," Strider said.

"That's so cool," Natsu said excitedly.

"Glad you think so. Now, I think Lisanna would like to help you with something. Have some fun," Strider laughed, clapping Natsu on the back. Soon, Mira was alone with Strider.

"Is something bothering you?" Strider asked, noticing her staring at him intensely. She nodded for him to follow and led him upstairs to her room.

"I just realized that I still hardly know you," she sighed, uneasy.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean… like that conversation we just had. I never knew you'd live to be that old. It just occurred to me that there's still a lot I don't know," she said.

"Are you afraid?" he asked.

"No! Nothing like that at all. I'm just… curious," she said.

"There are a lot of things that I prefer not to speak about - either because I've forgotten them, because I try to ignore them, or simply because I just don't want to. But I'll make an exception. Ask me what you want, and I'll try to answer. I just ask that for the next couple of days, we can enjoy ourselves," he said. Mira was surprised by his willingness to open up to her so easily now.

"Why now?" she asked quietly.

"I trust you. And all of you, of course," he said, a bit louder. He telekinetically opened the door - Juvia, Cana, Erza, Bisca, and Lucy all fell inward, surprised looks on their faces. They quickly turned to fear as Mira's hard gaze fell on them, and the She-Devil began to rise again.

"Oh, look at the time! GOTTAGOGETREADYCOMEONCANABISCA!" Lucy exclaimed, taking their hands and ripping downstairs.

"Yes. I must prepare as well," Erza said, flashing Mira a quick look. She surreptitiously nodded before taking her leave, while Juvia slowly left as well, making sure to keep her eyes locked with Mira all the while - as if daring her to try something with Strider in her presence.

"So nosy…" Mira sighed.

"I recall you following Erza and I when we had our first fight," Strider joked.

"Can't believe you remember that after so long," she sighed. Turning Strider towards her, she put a hand on his cheek, gently caressing it. "So in fifty years, you're still going to look like this and I'll…"

"In fifty years, I hope to be there for you as I am now. As far as I'm concerned, your beauty won't diminish," Strider said. Mira smiled as she felt the intensity of his words - they matched the intensity of his look. After giving him a kiss on the cheek, she led him downstairs to rejoin the others.

-o-

"ATTENTION EVERYONE!" Makarov roared as everyone was once again gathered in the lobby of the hotel. "A COUPLE THINGS! FIRST OF ALL - WE'RE NUMBER ONE AGAIN!"

The guild erupted into a raucous cheer that rumbled the entire building. Fairy Tail's excitement could felt several blocks over, eliciting smiles from everyone that heard.

"Thanks to Erza, Gajeel, Laxus, Gray, and Strider we are the number one guild in Fiore again! Do you five have something to say?" Makarov asked.

"It wasn't just us. It was everyone in Fairy Tail - our family!" Gray yelled to another raucous cheer.

"Man, I just wish I could've been there," Natsu grumbled.

"I just wanna fight again," Gajeel said, punching a fist into his palm.

"No kidding," Laxus sighed. While peace and quiet were enjoyable, he wouldn't mind another rumble as well as a go at Jura.

"Here's to you all," Erza said proudly.

"I've nothing to say that hasn't been said already," Strider said, raising a glass in a toast to everyone.

"SECOND! The King will be announcing something later tonight. Make sure you stick around for the announcement!" Makarov yelled. "And THIRD - let's get to the party!"

-o-

"Mira!" Jenny squealed, rushing to greet her friend as Fairy Tail met with Blue Pegasus and Lamia Scale en route to Mercurius.

"How are you, Strider?" Jura asked as he and Makarov walked in line with Strider.

"Doing well, Jura. Excellent job in keeping those statues up and running during the fight," Strider praised.

"We only lasted so long thanks to your expertise," Jura said modestly.

"I think it's mostly because Yukino and Lucy were able to close the Gate and Natsu destroyed it. If not for that, it could've been much, much worse," Strider said.

"Strider - something's been on my mind," Makarov said.

"What is it, Master?" Strider wondered.

"The dragons cause severe destruction, but earlier today I noticed that the buildings had begun to repair themselves. The city looks - probably not as good as new, but better than before. Do we have you to thank for that?" Makarov asked.

"I thought I would give it a try. It's helpful in expanding the range of my telekinesis, so it wasn't entirely altruistic," Strider said.

"You're certainly full of surprises," Jura asked.

"Full of something else as well, probably. Happy to see you again," said Yoruichi, coming up behind them.

"Hello, Yoruichi," Strider said pleasantly.

"Hey. Where's Bob and Goldmine and Ooba?" she wondered, looking around.

"Bob's hitting on young boys again, Goldmine's getting drunk with Bacchus, and Ooba is spinning Toby," Jura sighed. His Master was far too quick to spin others, he thought.

"I didn't know you two were on a first name basis," Makarov said.

"Well, when you've seen each other naked, it's only natural," Yoruichi laughed. Strider couldn't help but join along as he saw the look in Makarov's eye.

"If you ever discover magic to make someone younger again…" Makarov began.

"You'll be the very first to know, Master," Strider obliged.

"Good boy," Makarov nodded along, heading off to speak with Yajima, Jura at his side.

"You're not very good at following directions, are you?" Yoruichi asked.

"Hmm? What's that supposed to mean?" Strider asked.

"I ask you to find me at the party, not the other way around," she said.

"The party has yet to begin, so technically this doesn't count," Strider said.

"People that use technically are assholes," she said.

"Well, technically…" Strider began before shutting up as he saw the look in her eye. "Right you are, I mean."

"See, that wasn't too hard. Like I said, come find me at the party when you get a chance," she said before hurrying along.

"What was that about?" Erza asked as she came up behind Strider.

"The Master of Mermaid Heel. She's from Alikitasia, so I'm interested in getting her perspective on what's happened in Alvarez," Strider said.

"Have you ever heard of anything like that happening?" Erza asked.

"Once or twice. It's far more than a rare occurrence. In fact, it should be impossible," Strider said with a frown.

"Do you think she could help?" Erza asked.

"At the very least, I think she knows a bit more than she's told me so far," Strider said.

"You don't intend to look for whatever caused it, do you?" Erza asked, her eyes narrowed.

"Mmm… not soon, at least," Strider said, laughing a bit as he heard her exasperation. "Not this week, then. No, until we get back to Magnolia, I intend to enjoy myself as much as humanly possible."

"Excellent! As do I! And we begin tonight with sweets!" Erza declared, eliciting another hearty laugh from him. Suddenly, Erza felt a presence to her side. Looking sideways, she saw a slicked-back head of blue hair, covered slightly by a cowl. However, the red markings on the right side of his face were unquestionable. "Jellal?!"

"Shh!" he hissed, pressing a finger to his and her lips.

"I can't believe you actually came here!" she exclaimed quietly.

"We'll be all right as long as a _certain red-headed somebody doesn't blow our cover_!" Meredy hissed, coming up behind Erza.

"Meredy! You too?!" Erza asked, exasperated.

"I'm here as well," Ultear said lamely as she chimed in. The two girls had their hair in a ponytail and wore stunning pink and purple dresses - drastically different from their usual apparel.

"I can't believe this," Erza said, rubbing her temples.

"Blame Strider. He put the thought in Meredy's head," Jellal sighed.

"Strider! What do you have to say for yourself?!" Erza demanded.

"Hello, Jellal, Meredy, Ultear. Enjoying yourselves?" he asked cheerfully, narrowly avoiding an iron-fisted punch from Erza.

"You know it's us?" Meredy asked, surprised.

"Only because I can detect your power - as well as you being the only person that has such vivacious hair. Don't worry, though. This disguise should pass. At least for you and Ultear. Jellal, you might wanna cover up those markings," Strider nodded.

"Unfortunately, I can't," he sighed.

"Hmm… half mask, then. You guys have an escape plan, right?" Strider asked.

"Do you think we'll need one?" Meredy asked.

"I certainly hope not. I've got your back though. Be careful, though - and enjoy yourselves. Not every day you're invited to a party thrown by a king," Strider said, his voice slightly sour.

-o-

As all the guilds arrived, the men and women began to section off into different wings to get changed. Strider snapped his fingers; in place of his usual attire was a dashing black robe that covered him from the neck, all the way down. On the back of the robe was a sword with a white hilt and red blade, driving through a golden ring. The robe was tighter than the previous one, hugging his body, arms, and legs a bit closer than one typically would - but hanging a bit looser around the shoulders and stomach. A mithril crown with a black jewel centerpiece appeared on his head, giving him a regal and kingly appearance.

"Don't you look handsome," Mira said, coming up from behind. She was stunning as always, wearing a beautiful salmon dress with white stripes running along the top. Her hair was done in a high ponytail, the usual tuft missing.

"You look stunning," Strider said. She blushed a bit before noticing what he was wearing. She ran and hand up and done his chest and stomach several times, taken aback by the smoothness of the material.

"Is this like the dress you gave me?" she asked.

"It is. Although I daresay you looked better in it than I do in this," he said.

"I dunno. You look pretty beautiful yourself," Mira giggled.

"I've been told that I'm in touch with my feminine side," he said smugly. "I can have that dress ready for you if you'd like."

"I want to say yes," Mira sighed. "Buuuut… later, maybe? It's beautiful, but I don't want to draw too much attention for tonight."

"As beautiful as you are, that'll be difficult with or without that dress," Strider said.

"You're sweet," Mira said, smiling.

"Beautiful dress, Mira," Erza said, coming up to the pair. She went with a flattering corset that exposed a significant amount of cleavage with a heavy golden necklace just above. Around her waist, she wore a flowering red skirt. Her hair was done similar to Mira's, a section of it falling over the right eye. A thin golden chain ran around the top of her head; in a word, she looked beautiful.

"Thanks, Erza. Excellent choice," Mira said, admiring her best friend.

"No kidding. It'll be a feast for the eyes tonight, I'm sure," Strider said.

"Figures you'd think that," Mira sighed.

"That said… what is Jenny wearing?" Strider asked, a bit bewildered. He assumed the beautiful blonde would be wearing something similar to what Mira or Erza did; instead, she wore a conservative robe that had a pink top and a green bottom as well as a flower in her hair.

"She likes to switch it up here and there. Probably trying to be as safe as possible before that photo shoot of hers," Mira giggled.

"Ugh. I heard that," Jenny grumbled. She sidled up close to Strider, nuzzling him. "It's no fair! You saw how mean Mira was to me."

"I understand, Jenny. I'm sure you'll do wonderfully, though. I'm certainly looking forward to it," Strider laughed.

"Wanna come and see it live?" she asked seductively.

"Well, if you're offer—" Strider began before he felt a tug on the other side.

"Yeah, I don't think so lover boy," Cana said. She wore a simple but beautiful purple dress with a boa around her waist and her hair in a ponytail.

"You look stunning," Strider said.

"Don't I know it," she said, taking a hearty swig before passing it to Strider.

"Much obliged," Strider said, finishing the bottle off. With a satisfied ahh he turned back to Jenny but had his attention usurped again, this time by Juvia.

"Catch me, my love!" she exclaimed, leaping onto him. Juvia wore a light blue dress with a lilac hat, smiling and gleeful as Strider hugged her close.

"As you wish," Strider said. Immediately, however, Juvia began to melt.

"Oh, no!" Mira said, quickly prying the Water Wizard off and whisking her away to dry off.

"Every time," Strider sighed.

"It's kind of cute, I guess," Lucy sighed, coming out with Bisca. The gunslinger's hair went down in a braid, reach her thighs; Bisca wore a beautiful pink top with a maroon skirt while Asuka wore a pretty white dress, laughing and reaching. Lucy, meanwhile, wore a pink dress with a fur neck.

"I don't deny that. However, it'd be good if she could stand to touch me longer than a couple of seconds," Strider laughed.

"Hey, any of you guys seen Natsu?" Gray asked, shirtless.

"Perhaps not the best thing to wear to a Grand Ball," Strider said.

"GRAY! Go change into something at once!" Erza ordered.

"Bu—" Gray began before a death glare sent him scurrying.

"Idiot," Erza sighed, unable to hold back a small smile.

-o-

As the Ball began in earnest, Strider went around the ballroom making small talk here and there.

"You guys alright?" Strider asked Sting.

"Pride is still wounded, but it's getting better and better," Sting said, downing another glass of wine and grinning.

"How are you doing now?" Rogue asked.

"Better now, thanks. Guess the fighting took a lot out of me," Strider said.

"At least we know you're not invincible. That means I can still kick your ass," Sting said, grinning.

"I look forward to it," Strider said, smiling. "You guys pick up on what this announcement by the king is?"

"I hear it's gonna be some big fight. Honestly, I can't even think of what else it could be," Sting said.

"I imagine you'll participate, Strider?" Rufus asked.

"If that's the case, I think I just might. Sounds fun, at least," Strider said.

"There's something else I've been meaning to ask you, Strider," Rogue said.

"Please do," he nodded.

"The last dragon you killed - Levia - mentioned that you slew Acnologia. Is that true?" Rogue asked.

"It is, I'm afraid. The Future Rogue seemed surprised," Strider said with a small smile.

"How'd you manage that?" Olga wondered.

"Took a long, long time. Tough bastard, that dragon," Strider said, lifting the hem of his robe and pant leg up. Sabertooth saw the splotchy red marks around his ankles, vivid and angry.

"That's gotta hurt," Sting said.

"No kidding," Strider said. "Good thing we had you guys last night. The outcome could've been different if all the wizards weren't working together. I trust you all learned something during the Games?"

"Indeed. The old Sabertooth is dead. Since yesterday, we've begun anew - with Sting as our new master," Rogue said.

"Congratulations," Strider said, shaking his hand.

"Thanks. First order of business - a pool in our guild hall," Sting said, grinning.

"What happened to the old man and his daughter?" Strider asked.

"We're not sure. Jiemma left the hotel after Sting roughed him up. M'lady took off soon after you eliminated her from the final event," Rogue said.

"That's a shame. She could've been a huge help last night," Strider said.

"No kidding. We hope she's ok, though. She's… not all bad," Sting said. Strider nodded, unsure of what else he could say; from what he could tell with his interactions with Minerva, she wasn't the best kind of person.

-o-

"A word if I may, Strider," Jura said, pulling him aside.

"What is it?" Strider asked.

"A representative from the Magic Council and the Ten Wizard Saints has been dispatched to Crocus. I imagine you'll be seeing them sometime soon," Jura said.

"I see. Do you know what they want to talk about?" Strider asked.

"Most likely it will be Acnologia. They're interested in finally meeting you as well. From what I've heard, your performance in the Games has already reached far and wide," Jura said.

"I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing," Strider sighed.

"Comes with the territory," Jura said.

"Do you know who it is?" Strider asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't," Jura said.

"Alright. Thank you, Jura," Strider said, taking his leave.

-o-

"I've found you," Strider said, coming up behind Yoruichi. The beauty laughed, clinking his glass.

"That you have. Nice to see you again. Again," she laughed.

"Again?" Kagura asked, curious.

"Yeah. Saw him earlier at the hot springs in all his glory. Talk about glorious," Yoruichi said with a smirk. Kagura and Beth turned red while Risley and Arana giggled.

"She asked that I find her at the party. As a man of my word, here I am," Strider said dramatically. "How are you ladies tonight?"

"I'm well, thank you," Kagura said, her voice a bit brighter than usual.

"Good to hear. Not too roughed up, I hope," he said.

"Just about right, actually," Risley said cheerfully.

"So Strider - care to dance?" Yoruichi said.

"Master Yoruichi!" Kagura said exasperatedly.

"Oh come on, Kagura! You've gotta learn to have fun!" Yoruichi giggled, taking Strider's hand and leading him away. The music changed to something slower and soon, all eyes turned to the two. Mira and Erza grumbled, wondering who she was.

-o-

"Hope you don't mind people staring," Yoruichi said, leaning a bit closer. Their right and left hands were clasped, with her right hand resting on his shoulder and his left around her waist.

"Not at all. I suppose we can talk now for a bit," Strider said.

"All business, hmm?" she wondered.

"Afraid so. Especially when something's piqued my interest," he said.

"Dancing with a beautiful girl doesn't pique your interest?" she asked.

"It does. But a pretty girl isn't as interesting as something a morbid as what happened in Alvarez," he said.

"Straight to the point, I see. I'll have to teach you about decorum," she said.

"I look forward to the lessons," he said with a light smile, eliciting a giggle.

"Fine. What do you want to know?" he asked.

"Everything," Strider said.

"It happened around a year ago. There was a massive attack in Alvarez. When it started, no one knew what was going on. The theories ranged from it being a natural disaster to a dragon attack to terrorism by wizards. The total civilian death count was close to a hundred thousand at the time, with a large chunk of the army dying in ensuing attacks when they tried to stop it. It was… bloody, to say the least," Yoruichi murmured. Strider felt a bit of remorse as he saw the pain her eyes when talking about it, but he didn't interject.

"A hundred thousand civilians?" he repeated.

"Yeah. Like I said, bad. It started off small, but over several months the attacks just kept happening more and more at an increased pace. The army interjected after the first month - but then they were assaulted in the capital of Alvarez, Vistarion. The Emperor's Castle was overrun, and even he couldn't do anything. Which is surprising, because the Emperor of Alvarez is supposed to be an incredibly powerful mage with a powerful circle of advisers as well," Yoruichi said. Strider felt her tighten her hold on his hand. He gently caressed her hand with a thumb, eliciting a small smile from her.

"Anyways, the Emperor's chief adviser reached out to us to find a place for refugees. Fiore was only able to take in a few thousand while Alikitasia took in most. They even ceded some of the attacked lands to the continent," Yoruichi said.

"Sounds like a raw deal for Alikitasia," Strider said.

"Why do you say that?" she wondered.

"If it's blood-soaked land, there won't be much growth. The smell lingers, as does the memories of what happened," Strider said, looking past her eyes. Yoruichi sighed and nodded, deciding not to press the point at the moment.

"A recent death toll puts civilians at over 150,000. I've been there investigating every lead I could follow, however small or wrong it might be. But… even with all that, I wasn't able to glean as much as I wanted. Before I came back here, I found out that whatever the entity was, the attacks were carried out on horseback. Like I told you a little while ago, I had to find multiple people to corroborate. Beyond that, though… nothing. Somehow, there are almost zero traces of the culprits," Yoruichi said. As she said that, Strider noted something else in her voice - pain, and helplessness.

"I'm sure you'll get to the bottom of it," he said quietly.

"Don't patronize me," she said, her voice cutting.

"I mean it," he said earnestly.

"Whatever. That's what I have for the moment. Riders… on horseback killed 150,000 innocent people and hundreds of thousands of army men and women. All in the course of a few months," Yoruichi sighed. "You're from a different continent, right? Ever heard of anything remotely like this?"

"Villages being wiped out was uncommon but not rare. Attacks on this scale, however? Very rarely. I did see something like it once, but that was a freak event. The culprits, in that case, aren't around anymore, though - of that I'm sure. If it was a dragon, I could understand. But Riders? That's something else. Do you know many there could be?" he asked.

"We estimate that the number is less than fifty. This wasn't a blot the sun out kind of army - it was ruthless and efficient. Swords, clubs, maces, and arrows. We weren't able to find tracks, though - either they've been covered or buried, or their horses just didn't leave them," Yoruichi said.

"Anything else of interest that you found out?" Strider asked.

"Mmm…" Yoruichi hummed, wondering what else she wanted to add. "There was something else that I noticed, but I'm not sure what to make of it."

"What is it?" Strider pressed her.

"I went to several different sites, and while those cities and villages were completely wiped out, there were a few differences. One had a more than usual amount of blood - I could walk in it shin deep. In another site, around thirty miles away, the people had black marks over their bodies. We thought it was some kind of disease, so the area was quarantined," Yoruichi said.

"What was it?" Strider asked.

"Pox. But that was the only site with that. There was one other site, though…" Yoruichi said, uncomfortable.

"What is it?" Strider asked.

"It was a village of about seven thousand people. This one wasn't like the other sites, though. There, the bodies were spread out - you could tell the Riders went through and killed whoever they could. But this site… was neat. The entirety of the population was gathered in the large town square - and that's where they all died. Not a single body was found outside the plaza," she said. She looked at him intently, wondering if he had any insight as to why that would be.

"Why would that be?" he asked.

"I don't know," she sighed, shaking her head. Of all the sites, that one had struck her the most. "Is that it?"

"Yes. Thank you," Strider said, twirling her.

"What's your interest in all this?" Yoruichi asked.

"I'm not sure yet, to be honest. I met some of the refugees a few months ago. I suppose I empathize with them," Strider said.

"Mmm… Makarov mentioned something about you fighting in a war. That's true, then?" she asked.

"It is," Strider said.

"Were you a good warrior?" she asked.

"I wish I could say no," Strider said, his voice bitter.

"I hope you're not going to try and look for these Riders," she said warningly.

"I'm not that stupid," Strider sighed.

"I don't completely believe you," Yoruichi giggled. "Anyway, is that it?"

"For now, yes," Strider said.

"Good. Shut up now and let me enjoy this dance. I need to take my mind off of Alvarez for a bit," she said, leaning her head forward and resting it on his chest. Strider wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her close and tight; he had an idea of what was going through her mind right now, and it wasn't a pretty sight.

 _'If that's the case, I'm going to have to go to Alvarez. Maybe I could get a meeting with the Emperor? If he's that strong, he should have a bit more insight. 150,000 people over a few months. That's impressive, however you cut it,'_ Strider thought.

-o-

"Thanks for the dance," Yoruichi said as they both walked off.

"It was my pleasure," Strider said, bowing his head slightly.

"Ugh. Don't bow like that to me, please," she grumbled.

"As you wish. I'll see you around, then?" he asked.

"Sooner than you might think. When are we going to see Acnologia's body?" she asked.

"You know about that, then?" he asked.

"I do. It's in your fortress at Valmar, right?" she asked.

"That it is," he said.

"Why you need a fortress, I've no idea. Not planning to conquer Fiore, are you?" she asked with a smile.

"How on Earthland did you know that?" he asked with a laugh.

"Master Yoruichi!" Kagura called out.

"Ugh, again with the Master crap," Yoruichi said, rubbing her brows. "What is it, Kagura?"

"A letter from Soi Fon," Kagura said, handing it over. Yoruichi quickly opened and read it - several times, from what Strider could tell.

"I see. Thank you, Kagura," she said.

"Important business?" Strider asked.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Yoruichi said with a sweet smile.

"Ah. Understood. I won't keep you, then," Strider said.

"See ya. Take good care of Kagura for me," Yoruichi said, winking at the two. Kagura blushed again, sighing in exasperation at her Master's tactics.

"Your Master is an interesting one," Strider said fondly.

"You're telling me," Kagura grumbled. "I see you still have your sword on you."

"Hmm? Oh. Yes. I do," Strider said, mindlessly tracing the hilt.

"I don't think you'll need it tonight," she said.

"I hope not," Strider said darkly. "We've been together so long, I can't seem to part with it for extended periods of time."

"I see. I usually feel the same," Kagura said, looking to her waist. Her sword - the one she had always kept on her person - wasn't there tonight.

"You put it down?" Strider asked.

"I did. I don't feel as though I need it as much anymore. At the very least, not to a ball," she said.

"I'm happy to hear that," Strider said.

"Forgive my rudeness to you during the Games. I was…" Kagura trailed off, unsure of how to finish.

"Think nothing of it. As long as you're good now, it's all in the past. Besides, you weren't too bad," Strider said.

"Thank you," she said, smiling a bit.

"While we're here - care to dance?" he asked.

"What?" Kagura asked, turning a bright red.

"Care to dance?" he repeated.

"I just remembered I need to see how Millianna is doing. See you around!" Kagura said, quickly taking her leave.

-o-

"Finally, some alone time," Jenny squealed, hugging Strider from behind.

"Good to see you again, Jenny," he said, kissing her on the cheek.

"Same. Come on, now. Time for you to dance with me," she said, leading him to the floor. Strider obliged, holding her close as they began.

"So Mira mentioned something a little while ago," Jenny started.

"What is it?" Strider asked.

"She said that you're going to talk to her about yourself," she said.

"I did," Strider nodded.

"Why not? Why not earlier? Or later?" Jenny asked.

"She brought it up today. I know the questions always on her mind. I'm more comfortable speaking about it now than I was seven years ago," he said.

"Can you tell me as well?" Jenny asked quietly, looking at his chest.

"If you want me to," Strider said quietly. Jenny smiled and nodded, deciding not to press him with any more questions. She hugged him closer, enjoying his company and listening to the orchestra.

-o-

As he bid Jenny farewell, Strider began to walk around the ballroom. It wasn't long until he passed Wendy and Shelia, both of whom were happily and intensely observing a very sparkly dessert.

"It's so pretty!" Shelia exclaimed.

"It's so sparkly, it looks like a jewel!" Wendy agreed.

"I wonder what it tastes like?" Shelia inquired as they both got a piece.

"Mmm… so good," they said in unison. Strider couldn't help but laugh a bit at the adorable friends.

As Wendy was eating her treat, the first master approached her.

"Oooh, that looks yummy. Could I have a bite?" Mavis asked, drooling a bit.

"Do ghosts even eat?" Wendy wondered aloud as Shelia looked confused.

"Oh! Excuse me First Master, but have you seen Natsu?" Wendy asked.

"No," Mavis shook her head, still thinking about the treat.

"Hmmm… he's usually impossible to miss…" Wendy wondered aloud.

"Wendy! I think there's something near me and it wants my food!" Shelia suddenly exclaimed. Master Mavis was behind her, trying hard to eat the treat. Strider couldn't help but laugh, feeling a bit sorry for Mavis.

"Enjoying the party, Strider?" Mavis asked, walking next to him.

"Not as much as you are the food, Master," he said with a grin. She stuck her tongue out at him as he laughed a bit more.

"Thank you for lending me that crown, again! It's safe in our hotel!" Mavis said. Her mind was constantly drifting to the beautiful piece; she had put it on and taken it off hundreds of times already.

"You can keep it for a while longer, Master Mavis. Just please take good care of it," Strider said.

"Thank you!" she said before running off - back to the hotel to enjoy it again.

-o-

"Hello, Strider," Ultear said.

"Ultear. You look beautiful," he said with a smile.

"Don't think that compliments are going to work on me! This is all your fault, you know?! If you hadn't told Meredy…" Ultear went off on a rant that Strider mostly ignored, nodding here and there show a semblance of interest. "HEY! DON'T THINK I DON'T NOTICE YOU DOZING OFF!"

"Forgive me. But she's having fun, right? Look," Strider said, nodding at Meredy and Jellal approaching them.

"Hey, Strider! Thanks for the idea!" Meredy chirped.

"Not at all, Meredy. I hope you're enjoying yourself," Strider said.

"You've no idea! Balls are so much fun!" she said gleefully. Ultear finally cracked a smile. Whenever she saw Meredy happy, she was ecstatic as well.

"I was talking to Makarov," Jellal said in a hushed voice.

"About what?" Strider wondered.

"He said you were going to attempt a Century Quest," Jellal said, wanting to confirm it for himself.

"Correct. Once we get back home," Strider affirmed.

"WHAT?! Are you insane?!" Meredy asked in shock.

"Strider - wizards stronger than the three of us combined have tried and failed Century Quests. Jellal - have any of the Ishgar Four even tried?" Ultear asked, her voice laced with worry.

"None of them. Even God Serena hasn't tried one, and he's one of the strongest mages in all of Ishgar. As far as I know, only one person that's attempted a Century Quest has come back alive - Gildarts. And he's more a monster than a man," Jellal said.

"You've never tried one, then?" Strider asked.

"I've never even considered it. I once attempted a Decade Quest, and it was too much for me," Jellal said.

"It seems as though it'll be interesting," Strider said.

"This isn't a joke. There's a reason that these jobs haven't been completed in over 100 years," Ultear said.

"I understand the risk. But I suppose that's part of the interest. Whatever the threat, it's been around for over a hundred years. Perhaps the job offer is over a hundred years old - but the threat that belies it is most certainly ancient," Strider said, a wild gleam in his eyes. He felt Anglachel quiver at his side, but this time he agreed with his sword.

"Be careful," Meredy said worriedly.

"I will. You wouldn't happen to know what some of these jobs are, would you?" Strider asked.

"Only two of them. One involves something inside Mt. Brand, a volcano. Details are scarce - no investigative party has ever returned. There's another involving a shrine. Again, details are scarce - whoever tries doesn't come back. There's another regarding Sacred Mount Zonia, which is where Gildarts fought with Acnologia. I don't think anyone will be trying to visit anytime soon, though," Ultear said.

"A volcano, a shrine, and a mountain? Hmm… monsters? Protectors? Interesting…" Strider said, thinking aloud. The three sweat dropped and left him to his thoughts.

"Thinking about something?" Bisca asked as she came behind him; Asuka was playing with Master Makarov off to the side.

"I am," he said, smiling.

"What is it?" she asked.

"How beautiful you look," Strider said, putting his arms around her and pulling her close.

"Thanks," Bisca said softly, gently caressing his cheek.

"I'll tell you. I promise," Strider said, guessing her thought process.

"Tomorrow?" she asked.

"As you wish," Strider said, leading her to the dance floor. "May I?"

"You may," she nodded, smiling pleasantly.

-o-

"Hello, Strider," Hisui addressed him as he came off the dance floor with Bisca. Arcadios, as usual, was by her side.

"Princess Hisui," Strider said, putting a hand to his chest and bowing his head a bit.

"I wanted to thank you again. If you hadn't fought the dragons last night, I don't know how the kingdom would've survived," she said.

"Indeed. We can't find the words to convey out thanks - as well as how sorry we are for bringing this upon you.

"It's an incredible stroke of luck that no lives were lost and the damage was just economic. The other wizards have been forgiving as well, it seems. That said, I hope you've learned a lesson from all of this," Strider said sternly. They both nodded, deserving the slight scolding.

"I was extremely impressed with your showing in particular, Strider," Arcadios said.

"Thank you, General. But I've experience with dragons; most of the participating Wizards didn't. If anyone deserves thanks, it's them for so readily willing to fight against those kind of odds," Strider said.

"Nonetheless, you slew three dragons and managed to convince two others to slay each other. You're quite a force to be reckoned with. Speaking of which, might I speak with you in private for a moment?" Hisui asked.

"Certainly," Strider said before turning to Bisca. "I'll be right back," he added, then held an arm out for the princess. She led him to the dance floor yet again. Immediately, all eyes turned to them, interested in seeing who the princess of Fiore was gracing with her presence.

-o-

"So much attention," Strider sighed.

"Forgive me. I'd prefer there to be some commotion around us," she murmured.

"As you wish, my lady. What can I do for you?" Strider asked.

"I'm to attend an event in three weeks in Bosco. I would like you to accompany me," Hisui said.

"Me?" Strider asked, bewildered.

"Yes. I'm being sent with a larger retainer than usual because of some of the going ons in the country. But… I would feel much safer with a wizard such as yourself accompanying me," Hisui said nervously.

"What do you mean going ons?" Strider asked, frowning.

"Have you ever been to Bosco?" she asked.

"I don't think so, no," he said.

"It's the only country in Ishgar that has a slave trade," Hisui said uncomfortably. The word cut through Strider viciously.

"Really?" he asked, keeping his voice level.

"Yes. However, the king's birthday is coming up soon. He allows other kingdoms to petition him for a favor on that day - and that day alone. We intend to use ours to try and lessen their dependence on slavery. It's a sensitive subject, however - and while the king himself may be sympathetic, others might not be. Which is why I'm asking you. Will you accept?" Hisui asked.

"I will, yes," Strider said flatly. Hisui smiled and nodded, holding him a bit tighter as she decided to lead him along in the dance.

-o-

"I think the princess has a thing for you," Bisca said, waving at the young girl.

"What can I say? I slay," Strider said with a small smile. Looking around, he saw that Mira and Lucy were reentering the ballroom, Yukino in between them.

"So what were you up to?" Strider asked Mira as she approached.

"This!" she exclaimed as she pointed at Yukino.

"I don't see it," Strider said, looking past Yukino, thinking he missed something obvious.

"It's Yukino, silly. Look at how lovely she is!" Mira said, admiring her handiwork.

"Very pretty indeed," Strider said pleasantly.

Yukino was enjoying her stroll through the hall until she came upon her former teammates. She blushed in embarrassment as she looked at them. Mira, hoping nothing was wrong, went over with Strider.

"I'm sorry, I don't…" Yukino said as she turned away.

"Wait! Please don't leave on our account. Master and M'lady are gone. Sabertooth is changing; after the games, we finally learned what it means to be in a guild. It means that you're a family, and you don't turn your back on family. Please, Yukino… come back to the guild," Sting said. He and his guild mates waited with bated breath, hoping for an affirmative response.

"I…" Yukino began but was cut off by Kagura.

"Wait a minute! Did everyone forget that her life is in my hands? I say she's gotta join Mermaid Heel!" Kagura said, apparently drunk.

"Huh?!" Yukino cried, forgetting the wager.

"WHAT?! LIKE HELL! YOU'RE COMPLETELY WASTED IF YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN!" Sting roared.

"It doesn't matter! I say she has to join us!" Kagura said.

"If she wants to join the best guild, it's obvious who she should join!" Lyon declared as he threw their guild into the fray.

"Get over here now!" Toby howled.

"Don't be rude!" Yuka hissed.

"No way. A woman as beautiful as you deserves the most beautiful guild around," Hibiki said, making her blush.

"We'd love to have you," Jenny smiled.

"I know we've always been macho, but Quatro could use a womanly touch!" Bacchus exclaimed.

"Hold on just a minute! We won't allow you to decide for her!" Erza said, prepared to fight for it.

"Yeah. Besides, if she wants to join the number one guild in Fiore, there's only one option!" Lucy piped in.

"Looks like we have another round on our hands," Makarov said manically.

"Time to show you guys what a wild spirit can do," Goldmine added, just as manic.

"Oh, all this fighting has got me all hot and bothered," Bob said, also manic.

"I'll spin you," Ooba said threateningly.

-o-

Elsewhere, as a certain dark skinned beauty felt a twinge of anxiety.

"What is it?" Soi Fon asked Yoruichi.

"Feel like I need to be somewhere else right now," Yoruichi lamented.

-o-

"Now the masters are getting involved?" Wendy lamented. It wasn't long until the brawl over Yukino began, and the Wizards began jumping into the fray.

"There's no need to cry," Mira said kindly as Yukino started tearing up.

"I know… it's just… you all make me so happy," she said, smiling at Mira.

"It's wonderful to see you smile," Mira said as she hugged Yukino.

"The question now is how we're going to stop this madness?" Strider wondered.

"Hmmm… NO STRIDER, JURA, DON'T JUMP IN!" Mira suddenly yelled. The fighting stopped immediately as everyone jumped back from their positions. Jura, also not partaking in the fight, was laughing off to the side. Strider joined in as well as everyone else sweat dropped and thanked their lucky stars that the two powerhouses didn't join the brawl.

"That was smart," Strider said as he put his arm around Mira. She giggled as she leaned in.

"Your attention, please!" Arcadios suddenly yelled. Everyone turned to him. "The king would like to say a few words!"

"Hi, Mr. King!" Asuka yelled adorably.

"That's gotta be the cutest thing I've ever seen!" Mira chirped as Bisca smiled her thanks. Asuka quickly ran over to Strider, who picked her up and began rocking her. Smiling, Bisca went over to him as well, enjoying how he interacted with her daughter.

It wasn't long until the king walked out - although immediately, something seemed off. He seemed taller… and younger… and had pink hair. Almost everyone looked on in shock, while Strider began laughing.

"Behold your new ruler, subjects! All hail King Natsu, the new ruler of Fiore!" Natsu yelled as the real king, wearing the pumpkin hat, was jumping up and down trying to get his crown back. Finally, however, the king got his crown back and addressed the wizards gathered.

"First of all, I'd like to thank you all for the bravery you showed last night during the dragon attack. It was a trying time for our kingdom, but in the end, we prevailed. In particular, I'd like to thank Mirajane Strauss, Lucy Heartfilia, and Yukino Agria for their quick thinking and stopping even more dragons from appearing," the king said as he bowed to the three women. Everyone clapped as Strider gave Mira a one-armed hug that she returned tightly.

"Without you all, this kingdom would have fallen. Thankfully, however, it will live to see another day. I am indebted to you. Now, no doubt that many of you have heard the rumor that one more event will be held. I'd like to confirm that the rumor is indeed true. For the next three days, we have a lot of festivities planned for you all. It will all culminate in what we hope will become an annual tradition. The name is currently being deliberated, but it will be a free for all between all the guilds. These Grand Magic Games tested your strengths and your bonds of friendship. This event, however, will be used to determine who will be the Champion of Fiore. For our inaugural year, only the guilds that participated in the Games will be allowed to contend. However, as opposed to only five member teams EVERYONE from the guilds will be allowed to participate!" the king yelled. There was a long, pregnant pause before the castle was shaken to its foundation by a thunderous cheer.

"HELL YEAH!" Gray and Natsu roared.

"This should be fun," Erza said, smiling.

"YOU READY, SALAMANDER?! I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS ONCE AND FOR ALL!" Gajeel yelled.

"YEAH?! BRING IT!" Natsu screamed back at him.

"Perhaps then Juvia may…" Lyon trailed off.

"That's a lot of competitors," Strider mused.

"Champion of Fiore, huh? I like the sound of that," Sting said, grinning at Rogue. His best friend rolled his eyes but couldn't help but be interested in the event. The name did have a nice ring to it, after all.

"The rules will be simple. Everyone in each guild is allowed to compete - and you may have to eliminate your own guildmates to win. A top three will be decided. The winner, in addition to being named the Champion of Fiore, will receive a personal prize of 50 million jewel as well as the many perks of being Champion - all of which will be conveyed to them and them only. Second place will receive twenty-five million, while third place will receive ten million. The Champion will be barred from entering the tournament the following year. Instead, they will defend their title against the winner of the event next year. Should they win, they will retain their title; should they lose, it will pass on to the next winner. After the event, we will have a ceremony in honor of the champion. This event is part of a much larger one, however - one that we hope will span the continent of Ishgar. At this very moment, these events are being held in the other principalities and kingdoms. It will culminate in a match to determine the strongest wizard in all of Ishgar. I wish you luck, Wizards," the king said, taking his leave.

"Wow… 50 million jewel," Mira said, surprised.

"Sounds fun," Strider said.

"I'm surprised they don't just hand it to you," Mira said.

"You never know - there might be another wizard in one of the other countries that could wipe the floor with me," Strider said.

"Now you're too modest," Mira sighed.

-o-

"Champion of Fiore…" Natsu whispered.

"Champion of Ishgar…" Gray said, a bit weak in the knees. If he won, he would be considered the greatest wizard of the times.

"50 million jewel. Holy crap…" Lucy sighed.

"So much fish," Happy drooled.

"Man, this is gonna be fun," Bixlow said with a grin.

"Laxus?" Freed asked.

"I'm in," the blond nodded.

"I won't take it easy on any of you!" Evergreen declared.

"Strider, I assume you'll be entering?" Erza asked.

"Of course," Strider said, chuckling as he heard several groans.

"Alright! This time, I'm gonna beat you!" Natsu declared.

"I look forward to seeing you try, Natsu," Strider said.

-o-

As the party wound down, the Wizards began dispersing. Their excitement was still palpable, but Strider had a feeling that Crocus was only going to get louder as training regiments got tighter.

"Heading back to the hotel?" Erza asked, walking alongside him.

"I am. Care to walk with me?" Strider asked.

"I would love to," she said softly. They made a quiet exit, opting to take a longer road instead. The sky was a bit cloudy, but the majesty of the stars and moon shone through, casting a soft glow over the land. As he saw her shiver a bit, Strider put an arm around Erza and held her closer. She smiled and leaned into it, happy for this moment of peace.

"Did you enjoy the party?" Strider asked.

"More or less. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to dance with you, however," she sighed.

"Well, we do see each other every day," Strider reminded her.

"I know. Still…" she trailed off, eliciting a short laugh from him.

"We'll find some time to get one in. I promise," he said.

"I'll keep you to your word," she said, smiling. "So… about what you were telling Mira earlier…"

"Ah. I heard the same from Jenny. If you're interested, you can listen. Or Mira can relay it to you. Your call," Strider said.

"You seem less reticent about it than you used to be," Erza said.

"I suppose I'm more removed from it now. When I came here, the end of the war was still fresh. We've trudged on since then," Strider said.

"When do you intend to go back?" Erza asked, unsure of whether she wanted to know the answer.

"Hmm… I don't know. Maybe in a month or two. I promise that I'll return, however," Strider added quickly.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"I am," Strider said.

"Could I come with you?" she suddenly asked. Strider was surprised by the question, enough so that he didn't have an immediate reply.

"I don't know. We'll see," he finally said. That was good enough for Erza right now; she wouldn't forget anytime soon, however.

"Do you prefer it here?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. I recall telling Mira that both their charm. After all, there's no Fairy Tail in my homeland - and certainly no Erza or Mirajane or Lucy or Cana or Bisca," he said. Erza blushed a little but smiled, happy with his answer. "That said, it's still important to me. There's still so much work that needs to be done."

As she looked at him, Erza frowned. There was a look on his face that she hadn't seen before. He seemed to have aged several decades; his face fell, a sullen look in his eye and a small, bitter smile on his lips. She didn't know what to say to assuage him; she contented herself by hugging him a bit closer.

-o-

"I'll see you in the morning," Erza murmured.

"Come with me for a sec," he said, leading her to his room. Erza obliged, quietly shutting the door behind. As she turned to face him again, Strider pulled her close, his arms around her waist.

"W-What're you doing?" she asked quietly.

"I just promised you that we'd dance, right? There's no music, but I'm sure we can use our imagination," Strider whispered. Erza smiled and blushed at the passion evident in his voice; nodding softly, she put her arms around his neck and held him close, swaying in stride with him.

"This is nice," she said after several minutes of silence.

"It is," Strider said, tilting her chin up and giving her a passionate kiss. Erza leaned fully into this one, her fingers snaking through his hair and keeping his head in place. She felt his tongue slowly ease into her mouth, touching and twisting against her own. She moaned in pleasure as she felt him reach down and pull her skirt up a bit, squeezing her thighs before giving her a hard spank. She quickly discarded the dress before doing the same for his robe and shirt. Erza walked back a bit, pulling him along until both were on the bed, kissing with unrestrained passion. His hand snaked through her hair, roughly pulling it to the side as he began kissing her down her neck. His other hand undid the front of her corset, tossing it aside and letting her breathe freely. Strider began to run his fingers down Erza's front, his lips trailing closely behind. As he kissed her down her chest, however, Erza stopped him. She brought him back to her lips, flipping him on his back. As he did for her, she began to kiss him down the neck, her hand exploring his front. She traced the scars before hugging herself closer to him, wanting to experience how they felt against her smooth skin.

Strider quickly sat up, wrapping her legs around his waist yet again. Erza could feel him through the thin fabric that he wore. She felt her heart rate increase further, her mind awash where this might go.

"ERZA! I know you're in there!" Mira's voice came in a shout from the other side of the door.

"Fuck…" Erza groaned, resting her head against his.

"Again…" Strider sighed. Reluctantly, Erza lifted herself off of Strider and changed into her pajamas for the night. Instead of leaving immediately, she sat on the edge of his bed, wondering what to say. As she opened her mouth, however, Strider pulled her closer and kissed her again, fiercer than before. Erza moaned in pleasure as she felt his hand descend her body, resting between her thighs. She squeezed them tight, locking his hand in place; part of her wanted to continue, but the other part knew that if she didn't leave, the door would come down. She felt him break the kiss, resting his head against hers.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" he finally asked.

"Yes," she quickly answered.

"I'll see you, then. Sweet dreams," he said, kissing her once more.

-o-

"What were you two doing?" Mira asked, her eyes narrowed.

"I didn't get a chance to dance with him at the Ball, so he offered me one right now," Erza said, mostly honest.

"And that's it?" Mira asked.

"Is this an interrogation?" Erza asked irritably before taking her leave. Sighing, Mira followed; as they shared the same room, she couldn't exactly bunk elsewhere.

-o-

As he got settled in bed, Strider felt the scars on his back ache. His mind traveled to the Century Quests he would have waiting for him when he got back to Magnolia. The thought of them excited him more than the event the kingdom was holding.

 _'The mountain, the shrine, and the volcano. A monster in the volcano… I wonder? Could it be? No. it can't be. Of course not,'_ he thought, frowning. _'Not here.'_

As he tried to fall asleep quicker, he felt the three jagged scars on his back burn a bit hotter.


	27. Green Love

"Strider!" a shrill voice cried out. Strider grudgingly woke up, wanting a few more hours but was denied it as Mira stormed in.

"Mira? What is it?" Strider asked.

"A CENTURY QUEST?! ARE YOU INSANE?!" she yelled at him. Strider just grumbled and fell back onto the bed.

"Five…ten…more minutes," he mumbled.

"I don't think so!" she said, ripping his blanket off. Strider reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her a bit closer.

"Care to join?" he asked in a husky voice. He chuckled as Mira blushed; the yelling had stopped for now.

"That doesn't get you off the hook," she said, a bit quieter.

"Payback for waking me up like that," he said, sitting up. "Yes. I spoke to Master Makarov about it. It seems like an exciting job."

"You realize that besides Gildarts, no one else has come back alive from a Century Quest, right?" Mira asked worriedly.

"I know. Still, I think I'd like to give it a shot. After those dragons, how hard can it be?" Strider asked.

"There's a reason that these quests have gone unfinished for over a hundred years. They're _hard_. _Really hard._ And I think you need to calm down, especially for now," Mira said.

"I'll be fine," Strider said soothingly. "I promise. It's not like I'm going to rush in without a plan. I'll probably scope them out firsts before doing it."

"Take m—" Mira began before Strider quickly cut her off.

"Absolutely not," Strider said sternly.

"If you're taking Er—" she began before he cut her off again.

"I'm going to be going these quests solo," Strider said.

"What about Erza and the others?" Mira asked, surprised.

"While I'd like to try these quests, I'm not going to take any unnecessary risks. Like you said, these quests have remained uncompleted for over 100 years. I can't risk my attention being diverted between the quest and the others. That'd be the end of us all, I think," Strider said.

"You don't believe that they can handle it?" Mira asked.

"I'm not sure. From everything I've heard about those jobs, though, it doesn't seem like it. Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy, and Wendy are exceptionally powerful wizards in their own right - but something like this, I'd much prefer to be safe than sorry," Strider said.

Mira gave him a long hard look, wondering what to say next. She wanted to press it further but opted not to for the moment. She moved a bit closer to him, resting her head against his shoulder. She slipped a hand under his shirt, gently tracing the scars he wore.

"Something on your mind?" Strider asked softly.

"You've no idea. I won't ask you to go into your past right now, though. Some of the others want to listen in as well," Mira sighed.

"So I heard last night," Strider said with a laugh. "It appears to be a favorite topic of discussion."

"Well, you are Mr. Popular. Who did you dance with last night, again? Bisca, Princess Hisui, Jenny. That purple haired girl as well. Who was that, by the way?" Mira wondered, trying to sound nonchalant

"Yoruichi, Master of Mermaid Heel. She's kind of interesting," Strider said.

"Why did she want to dance?" Mira wondered.

"She was a part of the investigation into the attacks in Alvarez. I wanted to see what I could learn about it," Strider said.

"So…completely innocent, then?" Mira asked.

"Why so curious, Miss Strauss?" Strider asked with a light smile.

"Just looking out for my guildmates," Mira said, blushing a bit.

"Is that all?" Strider wondered, leaning in a bit closer.

"Yup. That's it," she said, feeling her heart beat a bit faster. It wasn't long until his lips were only inches from hers.

"Mmm. If you say so," he said, laughing before springing up.

"You're a real asshole, you know," she grumbled. Taking her hand, Strider gently pulled her up as well.

"So you've told me. My only regret last night is that I wasn't able to dance with you," he said.

"It's fine," Mira sighed, leaning forward. "Save one for me next time."

"I promise," Strider murmured. With a quick kiss on her cheek, he began to get ready for the day.

-o-

"Where are we going, Master?" Erza asked.

"The king's been kind enough to let us stay at the newest hotel," Makarov said with a massive grin. He proudly led the guild through the main street of Crocus, waving here and there as people stopped and cheered for them.

"STRIDER! I LOVE YOU!

"MIRAJANE, MARRY ME!"

"GRAY! TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES!"

"ERZA! TIE ME UP!"

"Looks like everyone loves us again," Levi said.

"Of course they do, Levi! We kicked everyone's asses!" Natsu cheered, quickly hopping from side to side and putting on a show.

"STRIDER! CAN YOU SIGN SOMETHING FOR ME?!" a beautiful brunette asked.

"Of course," Strider said. She gave him a marker and pulled down her shirt, clearly exposing her right bright.

"Make it out to Iris," she said with a smile.

"I must say this is a first," Strider sighed, writing a quick message. Turning around, he was on the receiving end of several deathly glares. With a nonchalant whistle, he quickly picked up the pace.

"Mira," Juvia began.

"Yes, Juvia?" Mira asked stoically.

"Where are the best places to hide a body here?" Juvia asked darkly.

"There's a few. Erza?" Mira asked.

"Pick up the pace, ladies," Mavis giggled, pushing them along.

-o-

"Who gets the penthouse?" Levi asked as they arrived.

"What? Penthouse?" Gajeel asked.

"Yeah. I read about this place when we got here. The top floor is a penthouse suite. Has the best views in the city. Usually, it's really expensive, but I guess we have it for free for our stay," Levi said.

"Well that's obvious - it should be me," Gajeel said.

"WHAT?! HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT?!" Natsu asked.

"DID YOU SEE ME FIGHT THAT DRAGON!?" Gajeel yelled back.

"SCREW THAT! I TOOK OUR RUFUS, LYON, AND I BEAT THAT DRAGON'S ASS!" Gray shouted.

"Did they already forget what happened?" Macao asked lamely.

"If anyone is getting such a comfortable suite, it shall be Laxus!" Freed interjected on the Thunder Dragon Slayer's behalf.

"I'm the Master of this guild!" Makarov yelled.

"Thank you, my lady," they heard Strider say to the receptionist.

"Not a problem. If you need anything, just call," she said sweetly.

"I will," Strider said with a wink. As he turned to his guild, he showed them the penthouse room key.

"HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR!" Natsu yelled.

"YEAH! WHY DO YOU GET IT?!" Gray demanded.

"Well, I had the sense to ask so…" Strider trailed off, doing a good job on restraining his laughter.

"MASTER MAVIS! CAN HE DO THIS?!" Makarov asked.

"Would you mind if I stay in that room as well?" Mavis asked cheerfully.

"But of course, First Master. Plenty of rooms," Strider said.

"WAIT! SHE'S A GHOST! WHY DOES SHE NEED A ROOM?!" Droy cried.

"YAY! ME TOO!" Asuka cheered.

"As you wish, my lady," Strider said, bowing low to the child. Asuka giggled before grabbing Mavis and Bisca by the hand and leading them to the elevator.

"Hey, Strider…?" Wendy asked nervously.

"You as well, Wendy," Strider said, ruffling her hair.

"SAVE SOME ROOM FOR ME!" Lucy screeched, latching on to Strider's arm.

"AND ME!" Cana shouted.

"I would love to acquiesce to your desire, but I'm afraid that's all the room I have. Too slow, I'm afraid," Strider said with a laugh.

"Pull," Lucy said dryly.

"Happily," Cana agreed. Strider chuckled as they tried to pull his arms off but soon felt as though they actually would succeed. He quickly took his leave as well.

-o-

"Quite a nice room," Erza said, stepping out of the elevator immediately after Strider.

"It's quite rude to enter someone's room without their permission," Strider lamented.

"You'll live," Mira sighed, following. The penthouse suite was large and filled to the nines - fit for a king, as it were. Strider immediately stepped out onto a large terrace, taking in the view of Crocus from below. He saw a forest off in the distance with several rivers cutting through it. Beyond the woods was a mountain range.

 _'Almost like home,'_ he thought with a smile.

"You alright?" Bisca asked, carrying Asuka.

"Hmm? Yeah. Just reminiscing," he said.

"What about?" she wondered.

"Home. It's not exactly like this, but it's similar. The forests, the mountains, the rivers…so quaint. So peaceful," he said.

"You must be eager to get back," she said. Hearing the sadness in her voice, Strider quickly put an arm around her.

"Even when I do, I promise that I'll be back just as soon. I enjoy spending so much time here - I wouldn't change that," Strider said. Bisca nodded, leaning into the hug a bit more.

"So pretty," Asuka said in awe as she peered over the railing.

"Careful, sweetheart," Bisca said, holding on tight.

"I'll be all right, Mama!" Asuka said proudly.

"Quite the adventurous daughter," Strider said.

"No kidding. I don't think I was like that when I was her age. She definitely keeps me busy," Bisca said with a smile.

"That's her job," Strider said with a laugh. Asuka turned to him and gave him a thumbs up with a large, toothy grin.

"She actually seems to like you as well," Bisca murmured. She turned to Strider, a searching look in her eye.

"Free for dinner tonight?" Strider asked.

"I am," she said, smiling.

"I'll see you tonight, then," Strider said, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek before taking his leave.

-o-

"Where are you going?" Ultear asked as she and Strider chanced upon each other near the northern end of the city.

"Hello, Ultear. Was about to head to the forest for a little walk. Care to join?" he asked.

"Sure," she shrugged.

The two made their way along a golden dirt road in silence, doing little but admiring the scenery around them. Along the walk, Strider found out why they called Crocus the City of Flowers. He had seen blooms that he had never seen before, of all varying shades. Among the roses, the daisies, the lilies, the sunflowers, and the petunias were flowers he could not name. As his eyes traveled up the path, so did the flowers.

"It's quite nice," Ultear finally said, breaking the silence.

"Very. I sort of regret not getting out of the city earlier, now," Strider said.

"No kidding. All that work and we couldn't find anything," Ultear grumbled.

"Related to Zeref, you mean?" he asked.

"Yeah. We thought we had something with the Gate, but now that that's destroyed, Zeref obviously can't use it," Ultear said.

"Perhaps he's dead?" Strider offered.

"I doubt it. Zeref is immortal - he's lived centuries," Ultear said.

"Say he is, though - what will you do then?" Strider wondered.

"What do you mean?" Ultear asked.

"If there's no more Zeref, what will you do? Stick with your guild?" Strider asked.

"I'm…mmm…not sure. I haven't given it much thought," Ultear said uncomfortably.

"Well, what do you desire then?" Strider asked.

"All I want right now is to get rid of him," Ultear stated.

"Besides that, then," Strider said.

"If…I could have _anything_?" Ultear asked hesitantly.

"Anything," Strider said.

"To spend some more time with my mother," Ultear sighed.

"Your mother?" Strider asked, intrigued.

"Yes. I told you a bit about her yesterday. Ur. She was a fantastic wizard, not even all that long ago - so good that she was considered to join the Ten Wizard Saints," Ultear said with a proud smile. "I told you about what happened with the Bureau of Magical Development and how she had taken in Lyon and Gray. You know Gray was orphaned, right?"

"I do," Strider sighed; that seemed to be the case with a lot of Wizards at Fairy Tail.

"Do you know how it happened?" she asked.

"I…don't, now that I think about it," Strider said, frowning.

 _'I guess I haven't spent enough time with Gray. Or Natsu or Wendy, for that matter,'_ he thought.

"His hometown was attacked by a Demon from the Book of Zeref way back when - Deliora. Gray was one of the few survivors of the attack. My mom had taken him in after that and taught him his Magic. Gray was serious about learning it because he wanted to go after Deliora. Being him, though, he wasn't ready when tried again. Lyon and Ur both went after him, but even with all three of them, Deliora was too strong. She had to use a really powerful technique called Iced Shell. It traps whoever is caught in the area of effect in a mostly impenetrable shell of ice. Gray, being the idiot that he is, tried to use it - but being as young as he was, he wouldn't have been able to pull it off. She knew it was the only way to seal Deliora away, though. So she did," Ultear said with a bitter smile.

"That's quite the sacrifice for anyone to make," Strider said.

"No kidding. I was about to kill Lyon when Gray told me that he tried to awaken Deliora so he could fight it, but apparently, Deliora was so weakened by the attack that it just cracked apart. Talk about luck. Still, Lyon was successfully able to return the ice to the ocean. When I fell into the water near Tenrou Island…I can't explain it," Ultear said.

"What happened?" Strider asked, intrigued.

"It's…like she became part of the ocean. I had an insight into her memories - of what happened. I know that she tried to visit me, but those bastards told her that I was dead. That she cried for days on end. Even when she raised Gray and Lyon, she kept thinking about me," Ultear said, her lip trembling. She managed to suppress her tears, but let out a shuddered sigh. "I wonder…"

"Wonder what?" Strider asked as they crossed the threshold of the forest.

"I wonder how disappointed she would be in me," Ultear said bitterly. Strider had no immediate reply; he just looked ahead, mindlessly leading on.

"I think she would be proud of who you are now," he said.

"And everything else I've done?" Ultear asked.

"That, I'm not sure," Strider admitted.

"Yeah, I thought not. Be honest - she'd be ashamed of what I've done," Ultear said, a bit harsher.

"Perhaps. She may have been understanding, considering the circumstances being what they were. It's a bad situation all around," Strider admitted. "You were able to get revenge on them, were you not?"

"The Bureau? Some of them. It's still around, though. I check in from time to time to make sure they're not doing anything like what they did to me," Ultear said darkly.

"I think that's a sufficient enough threat to deter them. It's dangerous - as well as wrong - to experiment on children like that," Strider sighed.

"Did you have anything like that where you're from?" Ultear asked.

"Not really, though. Plenty of children were taught how to wield a sword and shield or a bow and arrow from a young age, but magic and technology aren't as advanced as they are here," Strider said.

"You seem to be more than adept at Magic," she mused.

"My case was different; I had a unique teacher to show me the ropes. For the most part, however, Magic isn't a part of people's daily lives. It's far rarer than what you find here. Or, perhaps I'm just so used to what I have there that I don't consider it Magic anymore," Strider said thoughtfully.

"You have…cars and trains and the like though, right?" she asked.

"Nope. Horses are the preferred method of transportation unless you're me - I prefer flight," Strider said.

"What about communication?" she asked.

"Courier, usually. I had a Lacrima in a pocket dimension when I went back, though. Turned it over to some people far smarter than me to see if they can produce it on a larger scale. Communication takes place over months as it stands; if we can cut that down to days - or even hours - the result would be unprecedented," Strider said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

"I suppose we'll find out. At worst, we'll destroy ourselves. At best, it'll be revolutionary and change the way we live. The risk is worth it, I think," Strider said.

"I can't even begin to imagine what living like that would be like. Courier. That's medieval," Ultear said.

"I'm not familiar with the term," Strider said.

"It's…used to reference traditions, edicts, or ways of life of a bygone age," Ultear said.

"I'm almost certain I should feel offended right now. But, it's not bad if you grew up with it. It's only difficult when you're used to the convenience you find here and then have to go back to the old ways. Even flying takes a longer time than using a Lacrima," Strider said.

"What about cars and trains?" she asked.

"That's more difficult. We use railway carts, but that's about it. There's no other infrastructure in place that could manage cars or trains. Not to mention, the terrain is more rugged than it is here. Any attempts to push my home to fast, too far is going to be met with sharp rebuke as well as the lay of the land itself," Strider said.

"You're a war hero though, aren't you? I'm sure you could get the people on your side," Ultear said. She immediately regretted it as she saw the look on Strider's face. "Oh. Strider, I'm so sorry…"

"It's fine. Perhaps. But I'm not sure I want to use that to get my point across," he said.

"I understand," Ultear nodded. They walked in silence for a while longer, finally reaching a glistening river. Ultear knelt down and smiled, running her hand through the pure waters.

"Hey, Mom," Ultear whispered. Strider took a step back, letting her enjoy the moment.

"It's been a while since I talked to you, hmm? But don't worry about me. I'm doing really well now, actually. Jellal and Meredy are looking out for me. I think you'd like them - especially Meredy. She's so adorable and sweet," Ultear said, her voice shuddering as the water escaped her fingers. Strider heard the faint splashes of her tears hitting the water, unifying with the sacrifice of her mother.

"Jellal is doing so much better now as well. He still has nightmares, but he's improving. Still can't normally talk to Erza, though," Ultear said with a little giggle.

 _'At least she can still make a joke,'_ Strider thought, smiling.

"Lyon and Gray are doing really well. Still fighting, like always. Still stripping, too - that's definitely your fault," Ultear sighed fondly. "Gray beat Lyon during the last event of the Games, but I think Lyon might have it in the bag next time. They're gonna keep going at it for the rest of their lives. Every time they fight, though, they remember you."

"I'll see you soon, Mom," Ultear said, scooping some water in her hand and letting it run through her fingers. She kissed her hand, closing her eyes tight so that no more tears would escape. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned around; Strider looked at her with a kind smile.

"That was beautiful," he said, helping her up.

"Th-Thanks," she said, slightly embarrassed that he heard all that. She had all but forgotten he was even standing there.

"Do you feel her in the water?" he asked, his voice trailing along the river from source to mouth.

"I do. It's faint, but it's there. Like…her essence is still around. It's not the sea, but whenever I come across a source of water I can feel her," Ultear said.

"It sounds like your mother is with you wherever you go," Strider said.

"Like a good mother," Ultear said. She couldn't hold her tears back anymore; they spilled out full force. Strider moved to comfort her, but she held him away.

"It's fine. Thanks. I'm going to head back to the city," she said, quickly wiping.

"Of course. I'll see you later, then," he said.

"Bye, Strider," she said, taking her leave.

As she left, Strider sat down under a large oak tree. While it wasn't particularly warm, it felt nice to be under the shade.

 _'Her essence, hmm?'_ he thought, his eyes still on the river. 'No. That'd be impossible. It's far too diluted. Besides, I'm not there quite yet.'

"This is good," Strider said aloud, smiling and putting his arms behind his head. At ease and comfortable, he quickly fell asleep.

-o-

"Hey, Ultear. You alright?" Meredy asked as Ultear got back. Without a word, Ultear suddenly pulled her in for a tight hug. Meredy was surprised but offered no objection. Instead, she returned the hug just as hard.

-o-

 _"Reconstitution? It's the first I'm hearing of it," Strider said with a frown as he sat across from an older man. The man wore pure white robes that matched his hair and beard. They sat near a large pool with a roaring waterfall nearby._

 _"Because it's never been successfully done before," the old man began, looking out towards the waterfall. "In fact, it's nothing more than theory right now."_

 _"What's the gist of it?" Strider asked._

 _"What a telekinetic is capable of is fundamentally different from other wizards. While, for example, Gandalf and Saruman can both use it to some extent they have their preferences. Others like Radagast simply prefer not to use it at all. You, however, have mastered it to an extraordinary degree - at the cost of being able to conjure any other Magic, mind you," the old man said._

 _"I know," Strider sighed. "But what does that have to do with Reconstitution?"_

 _"Reconstitution - or Reconstruction - is rebuilding something again. The gist is that a telekinetic has the ability to put broken things together if they're good enough. Like so," the old man said. Strider looked to his right and saw a broken wicker basket being put back into perfect condition._

 _"Now that is remedial and not of much note - it's only reforming the baskets original shape and interlacing the material makeup of the basket with whatever it is that holds it together - twine, in this case," the old man said. "Theoretically, this should apply to much larger and complex things - severed limbs, houses, villages - and depending on the case, people," the old man._

 _"You're going senile," Strider sighed._

 _"I'm serious," the old man said as he leaned forward, a gleam in his eye. "Telekinesis is the ability to change without touch. So long as you can visualize the change, it should theoretically come about. Now this won't work in every case - you likely can't bring a person back from the dead there's nothing left to bring back, or it's due to an irrevocable factor like age. But if you reattach a limb with trouble, why isn't it possible to extend it further?" the old man asked._

 _"That's not what I'm arguing with. A limb isn't beyond the realm of diffi—" Strider began._

 _"Unless you're Strider and lack any sense of medical knowledge," the old man sighed._

 _"As I was saying…" Strider said, grinding his teeth. "A limb isn't beyond the realm of difficulty. But if they're completely pulled apart, no telekinetic is putting them back together, regardless of his medical expertise. You can't just shove the blood back in."_

 _"If your Reconstitution, that shouldn't be a problem. A telekinetic of extraordinary power should be able to pull off quite literally anything they can imagine," the old man said. "You can stop that waterfall in its tracks, yet this is too much for you to imagine?"_

 _As he watched him leave, Strider sighed. He clenched a fist several times, going over what they had just discussed._

 _'Reconstitution? It's insane,' he thought with a frown. As his eyes traveled up the waterfall, Strider smiled. Raising a finger, the flow of the waterfall suddenly stopped. He could almost feel the pressure building up behind; slowly, he let the water begin to fall again. He repeated the procedure several times before heading after his mentor, more questions on his mind._

-o-

Strider suddenly felt a small pressure on his head. Turning his eyes up, he saw the edges of a pink frog suit.

"Hello, Frosche," Strider said.

"Hello to you!" Frosche said adorably as he jumped down.

"What are you doing here?" Strider asked.

"I was just shopping," Frosche said.

"That's quite responsible of you. Although, we're in the forest right now," Strider said kindly.

"Yup, that's me," Frosche said. A moment later, however, he began to cry.

"What's wrong?" Strider asked worriedly.

"I don't know where I am," Frosche said, slightly afraid.

"Do you want me to take you back to the guild?" Strider asked. To his surprise, Frosche shook his head.

"No. I'm always getting lost. I need to find my way back by myself. And I know that my best friend Rogue is out there, watching me," Frosche chirped. Looking to his side, Strider smiled.

"Sabertooth should be proud to have such a brave member in their guild," Strider said kindly. Frosche looked at him curiously, tilting his head.. "I mean it. You are very brave. But remember - there's never a problem in asking for help."

"Strider, can you help me?" Frosche finally asked.

"Sure. What do you need?" Strider asked.

"Which direction is Sabertooth?" Frosche asked.

"Follow this rock. It'll put you back on the path," Strider said, levitating a rock at Frosche's eye level and leading it along.

"Thanks, Strider!" Frosche said adorably as he skipped off in the direction of the stone.

"You should be proud of your partner," Strider suddenly said aloud. Rogue, Sting, Lector, and Yukino came out from the large tree they were hiding behind.

"How'd you know we were here?" Sting asked, surprised.

"I'm doubtful that you guys would let Frosche go out on his own. It's good that you're letting him get back by himself, though," Strider said.

"Thank you for helping him," Rogue said, bowing.

"Not at all. You should catch up to him, though. Something tells me he just went off course," Strider said with a laugh. "His heart is in the right place, at least. Just needs a little guidance.

"Thanks, Strider!" Sting shouted behind him as they rushed off after their friend.

-o-

As Strider got back to the city, he encountered Master Mavis again. She was sitting near a bridge, a crown in her hand.

"I hope I'm not interrupting, First Master," Strider said, taking a seat.

"Not at all," she said. "Master Makarov told me that you're going to attempt a Century Quest."

"It appears as though Master Makarov is far too talkative," Strider sighed.

"You've already had questions, then?" she asked.

"Many," he said.

"And for a good reason. These are, quite literally, the most challenging quests up until this point. Their noncompletion is for a reason. They've been the end of many a wizard," Mavis said.

"Do any of them ring a bell to you, Master Mavis?" he asked.

"A few. Sacred Mount Zonia is the quest that Gildarts attempted. It's a mountain in Northern Fiore where it's always snowing. The legend is that a white angel fought with a black angel over a particular man. The white angel won, and so Zonia has been graced with pure white snow ever since. The quest itself has been active for over a hundred years, although I can't recall the exact date. It is younger than the others, however," Mavis said.

"What about the shrine?" he wondered.

"Blossom Valley Shrine. It's one of the more dangerous ones, from what I understand. The quest itself has been active for over 500 years, as I recall - no one has attempted it within the last hundred or so. I remember that the last Wizard that tried it was found with his body stricken around the forest in which the shrine is," Mavis said.

"Definitely some kind of monster, then," Strider said.

"A third takes place at Mount Brand. It's a dormant volcano on the border of Isvan, Bosco, and Fiore. It's the one we know the least about; nothing has ever remained of those that attempted it. I'm afraid I've no insight to offer on it," Mavis sighed.

"Did you ever think to try these quests?" Strider wondered.

"Gildarts is the only Fairy Tail wizard crazy enough to even think of trying a Century Quest, They're not to be trifled with - you know how powerful he is, yet he was barely able to step onto Mount Zonia before Acnologia almost killed him. You might have a better shot, but I implore you to take it seriously. Otherwise, you might not be as lucky. Even the best warrior can be brought down with the right shot," Mavis said, unusually serious.

"I understand, Master Mavis. Don't worry - I'll be exceedingly careful," Strider said.

"Do you have an idea of which one you'll try first?" she asked.

"Likely the Shrine or Mount Zonia," Strider said.

"Why not the volcano?" she asked.

"No…particular reason," Strider said, rolling his neck. "Are there any more Century Quests?"

"A few more, I believe. There's only a handful total - most quests aren't that difficult. There are roughly 20 Decade Quests as well - challenging, but not a much as Century Quests. Although it goes without saying that only Decade Quests can become Century Quests. Below that, there are around 100 uncompleted SS-Class quests. Beginner and S-Class are abound, however," Mavis said.

"I see. That's good to know. It's been a while since I've done one of these. Looking forward to getting back into the thick of it all," Strider said with a smile.

"Just remember to be careful," Mavis warned.

"Yes, ma'am," Strider said.

-o-

"Is Yoruichi still away?" Strider asked as he came across Kagura.

"Ah, Strider. Hello. Yes, I'm afraid she is. Do you need her?" she asked.

"Just curious. That letter seemed paramount," he said.

"It was. Soi Fon is extremely serious, so whenever we receive correspondence from her we know to let Master Yoruichi know immediately," she said.

"Is that another of your guildmates?" he wondered.

"Yes. Our second in command, as it were - as well as Master Yoruichi disciple," she said.

"Disciple?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Soi Fon was experienced even before meeting Master Yoruichi, but she still managed to learn several things from her. She's quite an exceptional Master," Kagura mused.

"Is she a Wizard Saint?" Strider wondered.

"Seat Six," Kagura said proudly.

"Do you know who the others are?" Strider asked; he recalled Jura mentioned that one of them was on their way to see him.

"Hmm…Let's see. You've already met Jura; he's Seat 5. Master Makarov is Seat 10, but that's apparently only because he doesn't take it as seriously. I don't know Seats 2, 3, or 4 - but the first seat is God Serena," Kagura said.

"God Serena?" Strider asked interestedly.

"Yes. I don't know much about him except that he's considered to be the strongest wizard in Ishgar," she said. Looking sideways, she took in Strider's form.

 _'Don't know if that's true anymore,'_ she thought.

"You never know. He might be better than me," Strider said, guessing what she was thinking.

"Your Magic is tough to overcome, so the chances might be more in your favor than you think," she sighed.

"You're far too kind," Strider said.

"I thought I had you with my Gravity Magic," she sighed.

"You might yet. I never expected there to be something like that. It's not quite telekinesis, but reducing the weight of whatever you want to zero, or magnifying it to tons - that can come in quite useful," Strider said.

"It's not the same as simply being able to manipulate anything you wish," she said.

"True enough. Perhaps we can have a rematch during the upcoming contest," he said with a smile.

"I look forward to it," Kagura said, returning the smile.

"It's good to see you in such high spirits," he said.

"What?" she asked, blushing.

"It's just that during the Games, you were much more serious. Since they ended though, you've become almost a whole new person. It's… heartening, I suppose," he said.

"Ah. I…thank you," Kagura said, blushing.

"Blushing as well, hmm? Also nice to see," he teased.

"I just remembered I have to be elsewhere. Bye, Strider," Kagura said, quickly taking her leave. Strider soon heard a tinkling laugh from behind.

"You tease everyone, don't you?" Jenny asked with a smile, putting her arms around him.

"It's one of my favorite hobbies," he said.

"I can tell. And here I thought I was special," she pouted.

"You certainly are special," he said, caressing her cheek. Jenny smiled, taking his hand in hers and kissing it softly.

"So…my shoot is this weekend. Think you can make it?" she asked.

"I would love to," Strider said. "Probably shouldn't have made that bet, though."

'You're telling me. Now I've gotta go hang out with the She-Devil," she grumbled.

"Have fun," Strider said. Jenny quickly leaned up and stole a kiss.

"At least that doesn't make me regret it as much," she said before heading off.

-o-

"So we're having dinner here?" Bisca asked, blushing as Strider pulled the chair out for her. Strider had dinner prepared for them on the terrace of the penthouse.

"We are. It's nice, no?" he asked.

"Really nice. Thank you," she said as he poured her some wine.

"I'm sorry that I haven't gotten much time with you since I've been back," Strider said, heart full of regret. Of everyone at Fairy Tail, he knew that he had hurt Bisca the most when he had taken his sojourn back home. Regardless of his reasons, he knew that none were good enough to make up for the distinct lack of contact.

"It's fine. We're spending some time together now," she said.

"Where's Asuka, by the way?" he wondered.

"Master Mavis, Cana, and Lucy took her out to play. She loves playing with them, especially Master Mavis," Bisca giggled.

"They are roughly the same height," Strider laughed.

"Don't let her hear you say that," Bisca laughed along "So…how are you feeling now?"

"Well enough, mostly. No aches to speak of, at least," he said.

"That's good. Talk about a scary night," she sighed.

"No kidding. We got it done in the end, at least," he said.

"You mean you got it done. The rest of us weren't much help," she said.

"If all of those dragons had focused on me, I'd be a goner. One at a time is difficult enough," Strider said.

"At least we could be distractions, then," she sighed.

"I imagine if dragons were more prevalent here, it would be different," Strider said.

"Are there really that many dragons where you're from?" she asked.

"They're still rare, but common compared to the scene here. Most of the small ones are dead, leaving only a few of the larger ones behind. They don't come out of their holes much anymore though - not to mention a decade isn't that long for a dragon anyways. While a few are still active, a lot of them are hibernating right now so it's not a big deal," Strider said.

"What about the active ones? Do you still have to deal with them from time to time?" she asked.

"Not very often, no. Do you remember the story I told you seven years ago? About the dragon in the mountains near Mount Hakobe?" Strider asked.

"Yup. You mentioned that he flew north, right?" Bisca asked.

"Yeah. When I went back home that time, I met as well. He's happy living there - says there's a lot more that he can learn compared to living off of scraps in Ishgar. He's gentle, though - not at all threatening to humans," Strider said.

"What does he eat, then?" she wondered.

"Mostly just medium to large game in the area he's in. He devours books faster than food," Strider sighed.

"Books?" Bisca asked, flabbergasted.

"Easily the smartest dragon I've ever met," Strider laughed. "He's an anomaly, even amongst dragons. Zero taste for human flesh, which is why he's more liable to talk to them than eat them."

"I never thought I'd hear that kind of a story about a dragon," she sighed.

"I never thought I'd tell it. Happy to report, though. I haven't come across another like him," Strider said.

"Speaking of dragons, though…" Bisca said uncomfortably.

"Right…" Strider sighed. "Let's…save that for a little later if you don't mind."

"Sure," Bisca nodded. They ate in silence for a while longer before Strider finally spoke again.

"Bisca…" he began.

"It's fine," she said softly.

"What?" he asked, surprised.

"You were going to apologize again," she said with a small smile. "I appreciate it, but really - it's fine. I… understand that you had other responsibilities. I'm still a little pissed at you for not coming back - just for a little while - but I forgive you."

"I… thank you," he sighed. "It's not my place to ask, but…"

"Asuka's father?" she asked.

"Yeah," Strider nodded.

"Well… I guess it was four years after what happened on Tenrou. It wasn't a one night stand kind of thing if that's what you're wondering. I…tried to move on as best I could, you know? Alzack and I dated for a couple of weeks, but that didn't work out. I met another guy that had come here from Alikitasia - near the town I grew up in, actually. We hit it off, I guess. When he found out that I was pregnant, though, he just left. Didn't say another word about it, didn't leave a note, nothing - just gone," Bisca said, poking at her food. "It was hard, but it would've been harder without the others to help me. They really helped out a lot."

"I'm happy to hear that, at least," Strider said, although his regret was bubbling up still. "You've never heard back from him?"

"Nope. Good riddance, I think. Probably wouldn't have been able to do much for her, anyways," Bisca said bitterly. Suddenly, Strider saw tears begin to well up in her eyes. He quickly abandoned his plate and moved to her side, putting a comforting arm around her.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Is it my fault?" she asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, surprised.

"Why…you didn't come back? Why he left? Why…?" she asked.

"No. Not at all. That fault lies with me and me alone. I didn't come back, Bisca. It… that was completely my fault. No one else but mine. As for him - it's his loss. He won't get to know how wonderful of a mother you are to his daughter," Strider said, holding her tight. Bisca turned to face him and buried her face in his chest. Strider felt her tears seep through his shirt; he tightened his hold as much as he could while keeping her comfortable, swaying gently.

-o-

"I'm sorry about that," Bisca said.

"You've absolutely nothing to apologize for," Strider said, wiping away the remnants of her tears.

"I'm just… so happy to have you back again. To finally be able to spend some time with you," she said.

"As am I," Strider said, hugging her close. "Like I said, I promise never to leave like that again. I'll always come back."

"I believe you," she said.

They got settled closer to the edge of the terrace, admiring the marvelous sprawl laid out in front of them. Bisca rested her head on his chest, her hand tracing up and down his stomach.

"So…" she said.

"Ah. Right. The dragon fire," Strider said, uncomfortable. It was a memory he wished would have been forgotten, but that wasn't liable to happen anytime soon.

-o-

 _Rain and thunder were breaking the sky in a way they had not for ages in this region of the world. The dark fortress, Angband, was under siege. The blood flowed freely and rapidly as Strider's forces cut through their enemies with a fury that their foes had never seen before._

 _Strider himself was at the helm of the battle, cutting through Orcs and Uruks as though there would be no tomorrow - and for many, there would not be. The retreat had been sounded by The Tower, one of three Black Captains. From the top of Angband, he looked down in anger at the sight he beheld. His forces were being annihilated by an army led by the same man that he should've broken._

 _"Dunèdan," he snarled. Strider heard him. Eyes and mouth blazing blue, he roared at Tower and took flight._

 _"HE CAN FLY!" shouted an Orc that soon had his head lobbed off._

 _"SLAY THEM ALL! NO ORC LEAVES THIS PLACE!" Strider roared to his companions. They cheered at command and resumed the bloodbath below. The retreat itself was of no use; the only thing before them was a sprawling valley - the enemy had no place to flee._

 _"Orcs and Uruks fight to the death. There is no retreat to be sounded here, relic. Come. Die with pride," Strider snarled as he landed atop the fortress. Tower snarled at Strider and lunged, swinging his battleax. Strider locked his sword with Tower, who snarled again in his face. The two continued to do battle, their hate doing all the talking._

 _"I should've killed you when I had the chance," Tower snarled, pushing Strider down a bit._

 _"The witch took your manhood. You couldn't, even if you wanted to. I'll be taking you and Hammer with me," Strider snarled back. Suddenly, Tower held his hand up. A blinding burst of light erupted from his hand, forcing Strider to reel a bit. As he regained his vision, he roared in frustration - Tower had run from the battle. He looked over the bloodshed below, a vicious look in his eye as he saw the orcs below. Strider concentrated hard, trying to feel out where Tower could've run off to. He had vowed that he would end him - and he would. His neck snapped to one side as he locked in. He was taken aback at his foes choice._

 _'Thangorodrim? No one has traveled inside in ages. This should be interesting,' Strider thought as he made his way after Tower. The layout of Angband was such that the fortress was built into the side of the legendary volcanic range that Morgoth himself had raised from the earth. The lava gave way to some of the greatest smithies on the continent, giving weapons and armor here a tint that they could not find elsewhere. The Mountains of Tyranny had lain abandoned for thousands of years after a rumor appeared - a rumor that a beast as horrible as Morgoth made his home here. The Black Captains didn't believe such a rumor, and so Tower had restarted the furnaces and operations of the Iron Prison._

 _As he got closer, the heat only increased - until the point where water would immediately begin to steam. Ash and soot began to fall heavier and heavier as Strider quickened his pace. He found himself at the entrance to hell and began to descend. He went on for a while - it seemed as though Tower kept going lower and lower as well. Inside the volcano, he noticed destroyed and broken pieces of the mountain here and there - but no impact marks. Whatever did this did so without touching them - or perhaps it was simple geological movement._

 _This particular theory was shot to hell when Strider finally heard it. A scream. A terrible scream. One that stopped the fighting outside for it was so loud. He ran quicker and quicker until he came upon the source of the scream. Ahead of him was Tower - or at least what was left of Tower. The skin was blackened beyond recognition and began to fall off as ash would a weed. Tower tried to speak, but all he could do was let out pained wheezes. He turned and faced Strider - and in his eyes, Strider saw the fear of a man who breathed his last. With a thud, Tower fell to his knees. The impact shattered some of his now brittle body - notably the head, which came rolling off and to a stop at Strider's feet. He promptly crushed it to dust. He observed the lifeless body with contempt. With one short flick, he through it to the side._

 _"That was unkind," a voice came. Strider felt a cold chill go down his spine - the absolute farthest it could've been from this hellhole he crawled into. He quickly found the source. Having come across exotic beasts in his life, he wasn't new to this. But every once in a while, he saw something that truly captivated him - this was one of those times._

 _Strider had made his way several miles into the deep earth - into a cavern that was large enough to house a large city of tens of thousands of people. As it stood, this black and red hell cavern was home to only one beast of permanent residence._

 _It was so large, he had initially mistaken it for a part of the mountain. It stood before him, the largest creature he had seen thus far. Its scales were blacker than night, only interrupted by red splotches here and there - marks form the great fights he had participated in; the last results of legendary warriors now dead. The wings were as black as the scale, which were harder than mithril. The snout was long and sharp and several large, horny protrusions ran down the back of the neck. Four large horns erupted from the head. His teeth were bared; there were to many to count, each larger than an oliphaunt and as sharp and bloodthirsty as Anglachel. The eyes were blood red and focused on only one thing - Strider._

 _Strider was unable to speak as he regarded the massive dragon before him - the largest he had ever seen in his life. The dragon noticed and let out a terrible chuckle._

 _"I am magnificent," it said in a deep but quiet voice that still reverberated throughout the cavern. Strider felt the earth shake as the dragon readjusted a bit to get a better look at Strider._

 _"That you are," Strider said, bowing low. He had to treat this situation very carefully. One wrong move and he knew that he'd be down as easy as Tower was._

 _"As I said, that was unkind - how you treated the fool," the dragon said._

 _"I apologize for doing so in your home. I fought him above, but he retreated down here," Strider said._

 _"Ah. Then it is I who should apologize for taking your prey," the dragon said._

 _"Not at all. Your home, your rules," Strider said._

 _"And who might you be?" the dragon said._

 _"Strider, lord," Strider replied._

 _"Do you know who I am?" the dragon asked._

 _"I do not, Lord," Strider replied._

 _"Ancalagon," Ancalagon replied. The name sent a shiver down Strider's spine - it was one that inspired fear and nightmares. The legendary black dragon was well known for razing entire realms to the ground in a matter of hours. The enemy had not tried to recruit this particular beast - in fact, Strider wasn't even sure that the enemy knew it was alive._

 _"Do you know who I am now?" Ancalagon asked._

 _"I do, Lord. Forgive me, but I must express my shock and surprise at seeing you here alive and well," Strider said, looking into the piercing eyes. Ancalagon let out a quiet laugh - one that rumbled the earth._

 _"Indeed? I am not shocked. I suppose I should commend you on your manners. This fool disturbed my rest," Ancalagon said, looking at the remains of Tower._

 _"Forgive our intrusion," Strider replied, bowing again._

 _"It appears you know how to treat with dragons," Ancalagon said._

 _"I've had the fortune of meeting several in my life," Strider said._

 _"I see. Yes, I can smell them on you. But there's another scent. Blood. Orc blood, it feels like. Have you come from battle?" Ancalagon asked._

 _"I have, Lord. There is one going on above - at Angband," Strider said._

 _"Angband. Morgoth's fortress. I remember him - more so than that insipid fool he had around him. Perhaps the fool grew into something great, but he did not have Morgoth's strength or resolve. I take it he's still up there?" Ancalagon asked._

 _"What's left, Lord. His body was destroyed millennia ago. What remains is but a shadow of his former self," Strider replied._

 _"Of course. He is not his master," Ancalagon said. He concentrated his focus on Strider, who didn't reply to the comment. "You have more blood on you than a normal warrior should."_

 _"I am unsure how to receive that, lord," Strider replied._

 _"A compliment. It's quite impressive. Hmm… hundreds? No. This numbers in the many thousands. Oh yes, I can smell it all, Strider. Dragon's senses are finely attuned, mine more so than my brethren. That is interesting. Interesting indeed. That fool perhaps has killed hundreds of thousands through his orders. But you - you've done thousands with your hands and your sword. Interesting indeed," Ancalagon said. There was a vicious but appreciative connotation in his voice, one that made Strider's hair stand on end._

 _"I thank you for the compliment, Lord - but I am undeserving of such high praise. I merely do what I must," Strider said._

 _"There's no lying to me, boy. If you only had to do what you must, you would've taken those orcs as prisoner. But I sense your resolve is something more than that. You want to see them exterminated. But do you have the strength to do so? Hmm… time will tell, boy. Time will tell," Ancalagon said - this time speaking more to himself than Strider. He stared at him intently still._

 _"Perhaps you disagree with my conclusion? Perhaps you wish to let the orcs live - and let them continue doing what they're doing," Ancalagon said. He smiled viciously as he felt Strider's magic flare at the suggestion. His eyes grew wider with interest as he saw the power that came from him. "And a powerful magic user. How interesting."_

 _"I'll slaughter the last of them," Strider said quietly. Ancalagon noted the hatred and strength behind the voice and let out a devious laugh._

 _"Of that, I have no doubt. Perhaps you should rejoin the battle above, then," Ancalagon said. Strider hesitated slightly but began to back out._

 _"My lord," Strider said, bowing. He turned to leave._

 _"Strider," Ancalagon said._

 _Strider began to turn. His eyes went wide as a sudden pain struck his body. Without rhyme or reason, Ancalagon sent a small jet of dragon fire at him. It encapsulated the left side of his body, focusing mainly on the head. Strider stumbled down to his knees as the pain overwhelmed him. He could feel his hair singing, his skin melting - but above it all, he felt the most excruciating pain he could think of. He trained his eyes on Ancalagon, who didn't move a muscle - he simply observed. Strider didn't let any cry of pain escape him - he would have to deny the dragon that pleasure. As he looked down, he saw bits burnt flesh peeling off and falling to the ground, never to return. After several minutes, the flames suddenly vanished. Still on his knees, Strider gently brought his hand to his check. It went through - he was touching something hard. He moved his fingers slightly and made out what it was - teeth. He continued to gently feel around for damage; it was extensive._

 _"Impressive. You didn't even scream for mercy. Impressive indeed - not many can withstand my dragon fire. We shall meet again, Strider," Ancalagon said. With that, his eyes fluttered close - he went back to sleep. Strider knew that he couldn't attack this dragon - Ancalagon could've killed him several times over by now. Grudgingly, he bowed._

 _"Thank you, Lord. Until then," Strider said, taking his leave. As he climbed out, he heard Ancalagon's chuckle._

-o-

"A dragon did that to you?" Bisca asked quietly.

"A nasty one, yes," Strider sighed.

"The dragon - is it still…?" she asked. Strider sighed and nodded.

"I can't beat him as is," he said grudgingly.

"What do you mean?" she asked, surprised.

"He's different from every other dragon I've come across. I don't know what he wants or what he needs. He just stays in that place… sleeping. He hasn't come out in as long as I can remember. He talks now and then - but that's it," Strider said.

"If he can't move…" Bisca said.

"If he did move, that'd be even worse. I can't take any risk with him, Bisca," Strider said. Looking up, Bisca saw that he was unusually pale. The thought that there was something that made him react like that frightened Bisca.

"Do we have to worry about him coming here?" she asked quietly.

"I don't think so. He'll probably sleep for a few hundred more years," Strider said.

"That's good," she sighed. Bringing a hand up, she caressed his cheek. "Can you… show me?"

"It's not a pretty sight," Strider said.

"Show me," she ordered. With a sigh, Strider nodded. Twitching, the illusion Magic faded away. All that was left was the bony and muscly skin and the milky white eye. For a second, Bisca felt as though she was going to lose her dinner but quickly got it under control. Bringing a hand up, she touched his cheek softly. Her finger went through, touching his gums and teeth. It took all she had not to cry again at seeing him in such a destroyed state.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said, unsure of what else she could say.

"Not your fault," Strider said. She recoiled a bit as she saw his teeth move. The skin cracked a bit and Strider rubbed it, seemingly in pain. Resolving herself, Bisca leaned up and kissed the charred part of his cheek, resting her lips there for a few seconds. Strider was surprised by the action. He reverted back to his usual self, wondering what to say.

"What was that for?" he finally asked.

"I…dunno. Felt…right, I suppose," Bisca said, blushing. Strider soon leaned down, giving her a kiss as well. Bisca was surprised but quickly reacted, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him in deeper. Strider ramped up the passion, bringing her onto his lap as he kissed her passionately. As they broke apart, Bisca rested her head against his.

"That…was nice," she said.

"No kidding," Strider said. He and Bisca looked at each intensely before they were quickly at each other again. Bisca wrapped her legs around her waist and thrust herself closer. She felt him run a hand through her long, green hair before going down the side of her dress. She felt him squeeze her thighs tight, his fingers slowly creeping along.

Strider broke from her lips and began to kiss Bisca down her neck, pausing at the base and sucking it a bit. Bisca weaved her fingers through his hair, keeping him in place. Strider slowly kissed his way up to her lips. He quickly shifted their positions, laying her down on and getting on top. Bisca quickly flipped him over onto his back, breaking the kiss. She saw the primal look in his eye and could tell that he wanted the same thing that she did.

Not wanting to be caught in an uncompromising position by anyone just hopping in, she slid her hands down Strider's stomach, disappearing under the hem of her dress as she sat atop him. She lowered his pants down ever so slightly, blushing as she got him free. Bisca and Strider groaned in pleasure as she slipped him inside.

"What, no foreplay?" Strider asked as his flipped her over.

"Not tonight. Just fuck me. Now," she ordered, locking lips with him again. As she felt his tongue through into his mouth, she also felt him begin to thrust. Bisca squealed into the kiss and wrapped her legs around his waist, giving him all the access that he wanted. She felt each thrust reach deep inside, inching both of them closer and closer to a pleasurable climax.

Strider broke the kiss yet again and pushed her dress up a bit, getting one of her breasts free and sucking on it. Bisca held him there, taking in each lash of the tongue against her tip, each gentle bite, and each hard thrust. It had been years since she had had a night like this, but she didn't feel the same then as she did now. Each thrust felt like an apology for leaving her so long. Satisfied that no one in Fiore had gotten to her before him, Bisca took control once again. She pulled her dress back down and began bouncing atop him. Strider grabbed her ass tight and guided her along. Bisca's hands went up her body, weaving through her hair as she moaned and cried out in ecstasy.

Strider quickly stood up, taking Bisca with. She balanced herself with a foot on the ground, the other one hiked around his waist. Strider continued fucking her in the position, moving slightly until her back was against the balcony. They kept their lips separated by inches, staring at each other with desire and passion as they enjoyed each other to the fullest. Bisca hopped up a bit, bringing both her legs around his waist. Strider obliged, grabbing her ass yet again and bouncing her up and down. She matched him thrust for thrust, forcing him in as deep as possible.

"Oh, goddammit! FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! YES!" Bisca yelled, feeling Strider bite her neck as he continued to fuck her. She felt as though her senses were on fire - their smells and tastes intermingling, heightening the sensation further; the sense of touch stronger than anything else she could recall. Strider felt a rush of pride as she continued to scream in pleasure, forcing him to go harder and faster with each passing round.

Strider let her down and turned her. One hand snaked under her dress and grabbed her breast tight while the other descended, massaging her clit. Bisca squeezed her legs tight at the sensation; as soon as he locked lips with her again, however, she unclenched and let him continue as he wanted. His tongue slipped into her mouth again, lashing against hers. She savored the taste she had wanted for so long, each bit as wonderful as she had imagined it to be.

Strider took her to the ground yet again, lifting her legs and pushing them back as far as they would go. Bisca had kept up her training during those seven years and was as flexible as ever. They reached near her head, and the look she gave him told Strider everything he needed to know. He guided himself back in, smirking as he heard the shuddered sigh she let out. Being given full access, he stretched Bisca as far as she could go and began to fuck her harder than before.

She felt her muscles stretch with each go. It was a sensation unlike any other, Bisca thought - to have him inside her. She guided his head back down to hers and kissed him, biting his lip gently and savoring the taste. It wasn't too long until she felt it; Bisca closed her eyes tight and paused Strider quickly, feeling her entire body begin to quiver. Strider smiled and looked up, seeing her toes clenched. He waited until she subsided before he resumed. Bisca felt her legs collapse down; she quickly tightened them around his waist and let him continue, holding on tighter than before. It wasn't long until she felt something warm inside. She felt Strider begin to slow down, his breathing more ragged than before. He soon grounded to a halt, kissing her gently before he got off to the side.

"Wow…," Bisca said, her chest heaving. She saw that both of them were drenched in sweat, still almost fully clothed. She thanked her luck that was the case - there was soon a knock on the door. Pushing through the pleasure, Bisca tried to get up. Strider helped her, giving her a shoulder to lean on. She quickly cleaned up as best as she could, her lips curved into a happy smile. Looking over, she saw that Strider was grinning as well. She quickly swooped in and kissed him, wanting one more before she had to get to sleep.

"That was…," she began softly, lingering to taste him a couple more times.

"Shh," Strider whispered, giving her one more kiss as well. "Sweet dreams, Bisca."

"Good night, Strider. See you soon," she said, smirking. As she sashayed away, Strider had to exert complete willpower to prevent himself from giving her a hard spank. He quickly stepped into his room and showered, still grinning.


	28. Parade

**Sorry for the lack of a chapter last week. The week prior, I was pretty sick - mix that with a severe case of allergies and I wasn't able to do much beyond cough, sneeze, and curse in general. Feeling much better now, however!**

 **I do want to let you all know in advance that I'll be taking a month long break in July to work on my long neglected One Piece fanfiction. I started it last summer and haven't updated it since. It's a different beast than this fic. And by its nature require more time. I'm trying to figure out a good rotation that'll let me work on all my fics. at a reasonable pace and without any long absences like I've had.**

-o-

"And here I thought that you and I would shower together this morning," Strider whispered as he joined Bisca on the balcony.

"So did I. Had to make sure Asuka got her bath, though. Sorry about that," Bisca sighed, biting her lip. She had had a long and beautiful dream about the two of them having a wonderful morning, afternoon, evening, and nighttime session and was eager to replay the event again and again.

"It's fine. And how are you this morning?" Strider asked with a small smile.

"I think you know," Bisca giggled, punching him lightly in the ribs. "I'm just happy we weren't naked last night. That could've been a lot harder to explain."

"No kidding. Good thing we have such a private room," he said.

"There's something we need to talk about, though," she said, suddenly getting serious.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"The others," Bisca sighed. It was no secret to her that many of the other ladies in the guild - as well as outside - had their eye on Strider. To that extent, she also knew that he had kissed Mira a week ago and had, on multiple occasions, almost had the same luck with Cana and Erza - and perhaps already had. Beyond that, she didn't know what the exact nature of their relationship would be - especially knowing that he would be returning to his homeland shortly.

"Right," Strider sighed. "It's…hmm. I'm not sure that I have the right word to describe it, to be honest."

"Yeah, neither do I," Bisca said. She was confident that she was the first to have sex with Strider in Fiore - but knowing how many had their eyes on him, she was confident that she wouldn't be the last. It was uncharted territory for the guild; besides possibly Porlyusica and Makarov many decades ago, she didn't see much of a template to go on.

"I'm sure we'll find an answer. Soon. Maybe. Eventually," Strider said with a little chuckle.

"You must be pretty happy about yourself. Any guy would love to be in your position," Bisca grumbled, punching him gently.

"You know my policy on modesty," Strider said. He soon felt a tug on his pants; Asuka was, once again, trying to climb them.

"Need help, sweetheart?" Bisca giggled.

"I got it, Mama!" Asuka shouted in response. She managed to make it a few inches before slumping back down, pouting at Strider.

"Like I said, quite an adventuring daughter. Were you like this?" Strider wondered.

"Oh God, I was worse," Bisca whined, wincing a bit as she recalled how much trouble she had caused. "No way. I'm not telling you about that."

"About what?" Strider asked, interested.

"Nope. Not me," Bisca said, scooping Asuka up and giving her a kiss on the cheek. Asuka giggled and hugged Bisca tight. The moment didn't go unnoticed by Team Natsu, Mira, Cana, and Juvia who had just invited themselves.

"You know, it's quite rude to enter someone's private room without permission," Strider said in an unusually stern voice.

"A-A-Aye," Happy, Natsu, and Gray squeaked. Strider sighed, ushering telekinetically plating some food for them and sending it their way. The trio dug in happily while Juvia held on to Strider with a vice grip.

"So what're you all planning to do today?" Strider wondered.

"We're going to have to begin training soon for the Contest. Sign ups open today," Erza said.

"Are you all going to participate?" Strider asked.

"You know it! I'm gonna show everyone that I'm the best wizard in Fiore!" Natsu exclaimed.

"HA! You're gonna have to get through me first!" Gray shouted.

"You wanna go right now, princess?" Natsu asked, energy crackling.

"Let—" Gray began before being silenced by Strider clearing his through. With a quick glance at each other, Natsu and Gray returned to their food.

"I am as well. 50 million jewel," Lucy said, drooling.

"That'll last Lucy a few days," Happy snickered.

"WHAT WAS THAT, CAT?!" Lucy shouted, chasing him around.

"I'm in," Mira said.

"I thought you would want to avoid a fight," Strider said.

"Usually, but this sounds fun for the most part. It's not as serious as other times," she said brightly.

"I intend to bring my full power. I won't go easy on anyone!" Erza declared.

"Ugh. Try to go easy on us, at least," Cana grumbled.

"How about you, Juvia?" Strider asked.

"Will you be joining, my love?" she asked.

"I will," Strider nodded.

"Then I shall be right at your side!" Juvia declared, nuzzling him again.

"How about you, Wendy?" Strider inquired the young dragon slayer.

"I think I will as well," she said thoughtfully. "I think Shelia is going to join. It might be fun!"

"Bisca?" Strider asked.

"I dunno. I don't want to leave Asuka alone," she said, hugging her.

"I can take care of her for the duration of the Contest, if you'd like," Mavis suggested, drooling over the food that she couldn't eat.

"Are you sure, First Master?" Bisca asked.

"I am. I'm sure that Makarov will as well. Guild masters are forbidden from entering, from what I understand," she said.

"That's a shame. Master Makarov is really something else when he uses his powers," Strider sighed, remembering how gigantic he had become. His appearance belied a man that had power in spades.

"Yeah, no kidding," Natsu grumbled, rubbing his head. He had been on the receiving end of one of Makarov's giant punches multiple times.

-o-

"Master, do you know where we can sign up for that fight thing?" Lucy wondered.

"I believe you can do so at Mercurius. The match itself will be three days from now to give you all time to recuperate and train. Use this time wisely!" Makarov suggested.

"Are you going to go sign up now?" Mira asked Strider as they set out.

"Probably. Might as well get it out of the way, lest I forget," Strider said.

"They might as well give you the title right now," Cana sighed on his other side.

"I dunno. Maybe you guys can gang up on me. Or try what Minerva did," Strider said with a grin. With a deadpan glance at each other, Mira and Cana both pulled on his arms.

"Ow, ow, ow! Forgive me!" Strider said, trying to hold back his laughter.

"Speaking of Minerva, though, do we know what happened to her?" Cana asked.

"Probably left before the dragons attacked. She's not exactly a graceful loser," Mira said.

"No kidding. What a bitch," Cana grumbled.

"At least Sabertooth seems to be doing a lot better without her influence. I hear Sting's done a good job as Master so far," Mira said.

"He's a strong and smart guy. With Rogue, Rufus, and Olga, I think he'll do a fantastic job," Strider said.

"Wait - if he's Master, then he can't participate, can he?" Mira asked.

"I hope the King gives him a pass or something. It'd be a shame if he couldn't," Strider sighed. "What about Gildarts? I imagine he doesn't know what's going on."

"Don't you have a call card from him, Cana?" Mira asked.

"Hmm? Yeah, think so. One sec," Cana said, pulling the card out and giving him a ring.

"Hey, baby girl!" Gildarts voice came through.

"Hey, dad. You know about this contest the king is having in a few days?" Cana asked.

"Huh? What is it?" Gildarts asked curiously.

"It's tournament to determine the Champion of Fiore," Strider said.

"Is that Strider?" Gildarts asked, surprised.

"Yup," Cana replied.

"Hi, Gildarts!" Mira chirped.

"And Mira?!" Gildarts exclaimed.

"Yup," Cana said.

"Strider, you dog!" Gildarts laughed uproariously.

"It's not like that!" Cana exclaimed, turning red.

"If you say so, kiddo. But hold on - a tournament? For the Champion of Fiore? Is this something new?" Gildarts asked. He barely kept a pulse on what was going on at Fiore in large.

"Yeah. You should come on over if you're nearby. It's in three days," Strider said.

"You're competing, then?" Gildarts asked, his grin evident even on the other side.

"I am. I imagine most guild wizards will," Strider said.

"I'll be there in a couple of days, then. Shouldn't be too tough; I'm still in Fiore!" Gildarts exclaimed.

"Excellent. I look forward to seeing you," Strider said.

"See you, Dad," Cana said.

"See you soon, kiddo," he said to Cana.

"Well, this just got more fun," Strider said cheerfully.

"Great. Now you and Gildarts and probably Jura," Mira sighed.

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on you," Strider said, giving her a one-armed hug.

"Is that a promise?" Mira asked flirtatiously.

"Nope. I'll probably go all out," he said, eliciting a grumble and punch from her.

-o-

"Wow. Looks like everyone had the bright idea to sign up today," Strider said. The line went out the castle as more than a hundred wizards crowded to sign up for the fight. A grumbling Fairy Tail was dead last.

"This is all Gray and Natsu's fault," Lucy complained.

"WHAT?!" Natsu shouted.

"HOW DO YOU FIGURE THAT?!" Gray demanded.

"You guys took way to long stuffing your face!" Lucy exclaimed.

"BLAME HIM!" Gray pointed at Natsu.

"IT'S HIS FAULT!" Natsu replied back.

"Idiots," Erza sighed, smiling fondly at their antics.

"I hope this doesn't take to long. I really want to do some shopping today," Lucy whined.

"Wouldn't your time be better-spent training?" Strider suggested.

"Meh. I don't know what three days is going to do. Hmm…although maybe I could try to find some other Keys around here?" Lucy said.

"Keys?" Strider wondered. "Oh. Right. Celestial Spirit Keys. Can you really just buy them anywhere?"

"Only Silver ones. There's only one copy of each Gold Key, but there's a bunch of different Silver ones. Now that I think about it, the only Silver Key I ever bought was Plue," Lucy said.

 _'Wow. That was seven years ago. It's already been so long,'_ she thought with a small smile.

"I know there are a few shops that sell wizard gear around Crocus. You might wanna check those out," Mira suggested.

"Can you take me, Mira? I don't wanna get lost," Lucy begged with puppy dog eyes. Mira giggled but accepted.

"Are you going to train for the fight?" Cana asked Strider.

"I think I'll just rest up a bit more. Already worked myself hard last night," Strider said with a small smirk. Bisca blushed red, giving him a sideways glare. As they got moving, she made sure to give him a sharp jab in his ribs, eliciting a small laugh from him.

"Oh yeah, aren't you in the same suite as he is, Bisca?" Mira asked, eyes narrowed.

"You guys should've been faster," Bisca said with a wink.

"So unfair," Erza grumbled.

"No kidding," Lucy agreed.

-o-

"Strider! It's good to see you," Princess Hisui said. Fairy Tail had finally made it inside the castle but were still in a slow moving line.

"You as well, my lady. How are you?" he asked politely.

"Well. Preparing for my trip in a few weeks," she said with a smile. She waved at the other members of the guild, who bowed for her. "Please! There's no need to bow to me!"

"You are the princess, my lady," Makarov said gently.

"Still, it is…it doesn't feel right, especially after all you've done for the kingdom," she said. "Are you here to sign up for the tournament?"

"We are. Slowly, but surely," Strider sighed.

"I wish you the best of luck. I believe the tournaments in other countries are going on now as well," Hisui said.

"The King mentioned that the winner of this tournament would have to fight the winners of the others, correct?" Strider asked.

"That's correct. Each country will have its own Champion, but above that will be the Champion of Ishgar. Incidentally, these tournaments are open to the Wizard Saints as well - and they're already considered some of the best on the continent," Hisui said.

"Master, aren't you a Wizard Saint? Can't you compete, then?" Lucy asked.

"Guild Masters can't, but I wouldn't want to either. Much more fun to see people beat the crap outta each other," Makarov said with a laugh.

"Strider, might I borrow you for a minute?" Hisui asked.

"Certainly, Princess," Strider said.

"What's that about?" Mira whispered to Erza.

"I've no idea. Not sure I like it, though," Erza admitted.

"Didn't she dance with him at the Ball?" Lucy wondered.

"Yeah. Think she's got a thing for him," Bisca sighed.

"Ugh…" Cana grumbled.

-o-

"What can I do for you, my lady?" Strider asked as they entered her personal chamber.

"We'll be spending a few days together on our trip to Bosco, and I thought it might be best for us to get to know each other a little better," she said, offering him a seat across from her.

"What would you like to know?" Strider asked, leaning back and looking at her intensely. Hisui blushed a bit; his eyes, while kind, were cutting. She felt as though he was analyzing her, a sensation that she wasn't used to.

"My father mentioned something about you not being from Fiore. Is that right?" Hisui asked.

"It is. I'm from the northern continent," Strider said.

"The northern continent?" Hisui asked, surprised.

"Yes. Beyond the Great Sea. Not an easy crossing, but doable for me, at least," Strider said.

"Wow. But…if that…how then…?" she trailed off. Her eyes went wide as it finally clicked. "You flew here?"

"I did," Strider nodded.

"But if the waters are that dangerous, wouldn't that be a huge risk?!" she exclaimed.

"It is. There are several island chains along the way where you can rest, but if you fall in the water, it's almost impossible to get out. I did a couple of times and… well, I suppose it's easy to understand _why_ no one has ever crossed it successfully," Strider said.

"What do you mean?" Hisui asked, leaning forward in intrigue.

"I'd rather not get too deep into it," Strider said, running a hand through his hair as he remembered his fall into the water. "Suffice it to say that it's not just the meteorological conditions that prevent ships from crossing it."

"If we could find a way to counteract those conditions, though, we could open up trade between our country and yours," Hisui said excitedly.

"While that would be nice, I'm not sure if anything short of a miracle will help. I doubt that I could lead a ship through those waters," Strider said.

"Is it _that_ difficult?" she asked.

"More than that, unfortunately," Strider said with a small smile. "The winds, the whirlpools and typhoons, flora and fauna - almost as though the whole thing was created solely as a showcase to give everyone severe thalassophobia."

"And the structure of the northern continent?" Hisui asked.

"Geographically?" Strider asked.

"And politically," Hisui said.

"The place I'm from is split into various smaller regions and nations - analogous to what Fiore is to Ishgar. When I first came here, a war had just ended, and reparation had begun. Some land is almost uninhabitable because of the bloodshed; I can't think of many places that were completely untouched. Geographically, it runs the gamut - we have large and open plains, many mountain chains and volcanos. Fortresses litter the landscape, as do forests and small towns. There aren't many large cities like Crocus, though. Technologically, we're not as advanced either. Magic isn't the same there as it is here - much rarer," Strider said.

"How did you come to learn it?" she asked.

"I had a good teacher," he said with a smile. "Most people are soliders, farmers, or merchants. Politically, it's mostly a monarchy. I imagine some places are more anarchic, but kings still reign for the most part."

"Are you a soldier, then?" she asked.

"I was. No pressing need for soldiers right now - we're at peace, mostly. Even though the fighting ended eight years ago, there's a long road ahead of us," Strider said.

"Were you rank and file?" she wondered.

"I commanded a small force," Strider said.

"How small?" she wondered.

"Around fifty people, all told. Most of them have been aiding in the reparation and making sure that things go smoothly. The people trust them, as do I," Strider said.

"Don't you want to be back there, helping?" Hisui asked, leaning her head on her hand.

"I helped get the ball rolling in several realms. The work has been delegated to people that are better suited to it than I. It's not imperative that I stay there at all times. Plus, after I heard that my friends in Fairy Tail were back, I just rushed over," Strider said.

"It must've been hard for you," she said softly.

"Perhaps more than you can imagine," Strider said with a heavy sigh. "But, they're back. That's what matters."

"You said that you helped the ball rolling in several realms. What do you mean by that?" Hisui wondered, backing up a bit.

"Because of the widespread damage, some of the monarchs were obligated to aid in reparation as much as they could. When I had initially gone back, there was a meeting held by the new king to spread the effort amongst us all. He gave me free reign to choose, so I selected the most impacted regions," Strider said.

"You…chose the most impacted regions?" Hisui asked, uncertain.

"Regions that were left nearly uninhabitable or places that no one would want to rule over. I figured someone had to; might as well be me," Strider shrugged.

"So…you're saying that you're a king as well, then?" Hisui asked, surprised.

"Definitely not. I'm not cut out for that kind of a role," Strider said with a laugh. "I'm just doing my part."

"What about trade between your continent and neighbors?" Hisui asked.

"There's not much communication between us. It's both a matter of distance and reason. Ours and neighboring continents have been content until now, and so there hasn't been a significant reason to make any serious attempt at outreach. The Great Sea also divides us from them, but not to as large an extent as it does from Ishgar. It's navigable, but not easy by any means," Strider said.

"But have you traveled there?" Hisui asked.

"I have. Interesting people, to say the least. One race, in particular, have huge horns on their heads. Fascinating," Strider said.

"Horns?" Hisui scoffed.

"I'm serious. Even the women. Quite beautiful, to be honest," Strider said.

"I…are they not human, then?" Hisui asked, shocked. She was surprised to see that Strider was so nonchalant about it.

"I suppose not. They mostly ignored me, to be honest, and I didn't spend much time there before I came here," Strider said.

"Amazing. I had no idea…" Hisui murmured. "Maybe…the mainland here…?"

"Could have races like that? It's possible. Ishgar is part of a larger landmass, is it not?" Strider asked.

"It is. While Alikitasia is to the west, east of the Pergrande Kingdom is the mainland. It's difficult to reach, however, because of the Chasm."

"The Chasm?" Strider asked, intrigued.

"It's almost like a scar on Earthland," Hisui sighed. "It runs across the entire border of Pergrande Kingdom and the mainland. I know there have been attempts at building bridges, but they never get far because of random downdrafts."

"Interesting. I think I'd like to see it sometime," Strider said, making a mental note to go there.

"If you live so close to such a race of people that you otherwise didn't know existed, I'm eager to see what we might find on the other side of the Chasm," Hisui said excitedly.

"I imagine a Wind Wizard or something similar could fly over?" Strider suggested.

"Pergrande Kingdom, unfortunately, isn't as accommodating of Wizards as the other countries are. It's changing slowly, but it's been difficult to even get them to open up their borders, let alone let wizards freely enter and exit the country," Hisui sighed.

"Is there a reason why?" Strider asked.

"There was a bloody civil war in the kingdom a few decades ago. A lot of people - on both sides - died as a result. Slowly, the monarchy began to exile wizards until only a few were left under employment by them," Hisui said.

"What other countries are there?" Strider wondered.

"There's Seven, which shares a border with us; Bosco, which is heavily forested. It's also the only remains country that still has a slave trade," Hisui said, rubbing her temples. "Iceberg borders Seven and Bosco on the east; the northern part of the country is covered in glaciers. Stella is south of Iceberg and Joya is south of Stella. Desierto is south of Joya and is mostly a desert; in fact, I'm not even sure how many cities the country has. I've heard that the center region gets so hot, it's nearly unlivable. Caellum is an island south of Fiore. For some reason, though, it's almost entirely deserted. We still haven't established much in the way of communication with them. Minstrel is south of us; we're separated by a gulf. I've never been there, but my father says that it's exotic. Midi is south of Minstrel. Bellum…Bellum's a country between Desierto and the Pergrande Kingdom. It's where many of the wizards that left the Pergrande Kingdom went to after they were exiled. There's a lot of fighting going on there now; it makes crossing the country to get to Pergrande Kingdom really dangerous."

"Are they at war with Pergrande Kingdom, then?" Strider asked.

"You would think so, but no. It's a civil - this time between wizards and wizards. They can't fight the Pergrande Kingdom because they don't have the resources to cross the Antebellum Mountain Range that lines the Kingdoms border," Hisui said.

"Are there any other countries?" Strider asked.

"There's Enca, an island, and Sin," Hisui said.

"Sin?" Strider asked with a short laugh.

"My father refuses to let me go there, so I can't tell you anything about it," Hisui sighed.

"With a name like that, I can only wonder what they get up to there," Strider chuckled.

"It's probably nothing like that. Just a case of an unlucky naming," Hisui sighed.

"We're going to Bosco in a few weeks, right?" Strider inquired.

"Yes. I want to petition the king to put an end to the slave trade," Hisui said.

"It'll be difficult for them. I imagine a significant portion of their economy is built on it. They won't change unless they're kicking and screaming," Strider said.

"Nonetheless, we have to try. It's an asterisk on all of their neighbors if we don't do something to remedy the situation," Hisui said.

"I imagine your father is worried about an attack on you when you travel there?" Strider asked.

"He is," Hisui said, shifting uncomfortably. "There was an incident almost a decade ago where another princess had gone missing in the country. We only found out a year ago that she had been captured and sold into slavery."

Strider felt his anger surge but quickly brought it under control.

"I assure you that you'll be safe with me, your highness," he said calmly.

"I'm certain I will be. Thank you, Strider," Hisui said with a smile as she got up.

"Not at all, my lady," Strider said, kissing the hand she offered. Hisui blushed but nodded, escorting him out. She led him to the front of the line and let him quickly sign up before taking her leave.

"HEY! THAT'S NOT FAIR! YOU GOT TO CUT AHEAD OF US!" Natsu shouted from several spaces back.

"Alls fair in a long line," he said, taking his leave.

-o-

"Guess you got out ahead of everyone?" Jenny asked Strider as she came up behind him. She took an arm and quickly put it around her, leaning in close.

"Courtesy of the princess," Strider said.

"Now you have royalty interested in you? This must be doing wonders for you ego," Jenny said lamely.

"Oh, you've no idea," Strider said with a laugh. "You signed up as well?"

"Yup. Go easy on me if you see me," she cooed.

"Mira's the one you need to tell that to," Strider chuckled. Jenny grumbled; she would have to be wary of her rival and Erza, both of whom she had a feeling wouldn't be fun for her.

"Ready for the parade tonight?" Jenny asked, changing subjects.

"Almost forgot about it," Strider sighed. Part of the festivities the king had planned included having the wizards parade through the city, putting on a show for the citizens of Crocus. All of the guilds would be participating.

"There's going to be a small carnival for the Wizards afterward, so it'll be fun. Cheer up," Jenny giggled.

"Well, with you by my side, how can I not be cheerful?" Strider asked in a husky voice. Jenny turned red before smiling and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"You want to pose with me for my shoot?" she asked seductively.

"I'm afraid that I'm not that confident. I'm honestly surprised that you're going through with it," Strider said.

"Blame Mira," Jenny grumbled.

"Blame Mira for what?" Mira asked in an innocent voice as she came up behind them.

"You know for what! The nude photo shoot!" Jenny exclaimed.

"You're the one who wanted to make the bet," Mira chirped.

"Only because I thought you would lose," Jenny grumbled.

"Silly, it was a fight, remember? How else would it end?" Mira asked with a laugh.

"So unfair…" Jenny whined. "You sure you don't want to join me, Mira?"

"Ha. I'm sure," Mira said.

"Now _that_ issue would sell," Strider said, imagining it. With a glance at each other, Jenny and Mira both gave him a light punch.

-o-

As Strider went back to the hotel to get some rest, he noticed Erza was sitting in a corner by herself, poring over a book. Intrigued, he quietly went behind her and began to read along.

 _"… as he wrapped the rope, first around her ankles and then her wrists. With each twine, she felt him grasp her tightly, his rough hands sending shivers up and down her smooth and sensitive skin. She sighed in please as she felt him run a finger gently between her breasts, his eyes full of passion and he headed towards her most sensitive spot. As he caressed her softly…"_ Erza muttered as she read on.

"I wasn't aware you were so into erotica, Erza," Strider said. Erza yelled louder than she ever had, attracting many surprised stares. Turning, she looked at Strider in horror.

"STRIDER! WHO - WHAT - WHY - WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" she yelled.

"Well, we're all staying here…" Strider said.

"IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!" she yelled.

"It looks like you were re-," Strider began before Erza immediately cut him off and pulled him into an elevator, quickly closing the doors and pushing the penthouse floor button. She immediately regretted it as she turned to look at him; she had done the opposite of what she had wanted.

"So…" Strider said nonchalantly.

"L-LEVY LOANED IT TO ME BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT I MIGHT BE INTERESTED. OBVIOUSLY, I WASN'T—" Erza began, shouting still.

"Easy, easy. It's not to be ashamed about," Strider said, trying to calm her down. "Everyone has their proclivities. Some like reading about sex. It's completely fine."

"It…that…I…ugh…" Erza whined, turning a shade of red as bright as her hair.

"Honestly, the only surprising thing was the fetish. I didn't know you we—" he began before Erza pressed her hand to his mouth.

"Please save me the embarrassment," she said. Strider sighed but nodded. They went out onto the balcony, admiring the view of the city. Erza took several deep breaths to calm her down, glancing sideways here and there to see if he was chancing a look at her as well.

 _'I can't believe he saw me reading that!'_ she thought embarrassedly.

"You know, it's been a long time since we've been on a job," Strider suddenly said.

"What?" she asked, surprised.

"A job. Seven years, I think. I don't think we've done one since we all got back. Once we get back home, I think we should go on one," Strider suggested. As he looked at her, Erza saw a surprisingly solemn look in his eye. She moved a bit closer, brushing his hand with her own.

"I agree. I'd like to as well," she said softly. "I'm sure the others are eager as well. While the Games were a nice change of pace, after everything that's happened, I think we all just want to go back to the routine we were used to."

"No kidding," Strider sighed. As a gust of wind passed over them, he brought Erza in a bit closer. She shivered pleasurably at the touch and leaned in, resting her head against his chest.

"About the night before last…" she began.

"I remember. Mira interrupted us. Think she has a sixth sense about these things," he laughed.

"We were about to…" Erza began, beginning to turn red again.

"Yeah," Strider said, mindlessly running a hand through her hair. Erza enjoyed the sensation, rubbing a bit closer to him. She slowly slipped a hand under his shirt, feeling around the scars. It wasn't long ago that they were pressing against her skin. It was an odd sensation; they were rough and jagged, but as he pressed her against him, she felt nothing short of warmth and excitement.

"I'm going to go get ready for the parade," she whispered.

-o-

As Strider reached the lobby, everyone was gathered and changed into their clothes for the parade. Erza was in her Armadura Fairy armor - one of her most powerful and beautiful re-quips. She was sporting a pink breastplate that had short pink wings jutting upwards from her shoulders. Over a pink fabric skirt, she wore tassets, along with pink gauntlets and knee guards. In each hand, she held a sword and behind her billowed a flowing purple cape.

Strider snapped and his clothes changed ever so slightly. He wore a rich and heavy black coat with the regalia he had worn the the Ball. Atop his head was a crown, and the hilt of his sword was exposed for all to see. He cast an imposing figure, drawing several stares from passerby.

"Beautiful," Lucy said, rubbing her face against his cloak.

"Not as beautiful as what Erza or Mira are wearing," Strider said with a smile. Mira wore a beautiful white dress that blossomed around her as it went down her legs, stopping just above the ankles. She wore a flowery crown that complimented her look wonderfully, as well as a pair of white wings, giving her the look of a Fairy.

"You look stunning," Strider said.

"Wow, Mira - that's really pretty," Lisanna said admiringly.

"You're a fairy!" Asuka said adorably as Mira hugged and kissed the child. The guild began to file out to where they were supposed to be. Fairy Tail would begin the parade. They would be joined by Sabertooth next, then Lamia Scale, Mermaid Heel, Blue Pegasus, and finally - Quattro Cerberus.

As they made their way to their floats, they could see a large crowd was already lining the lit streets of the city in anticipation. The moon was in the sky and as the floats ignited to life, they cast a glow over the city.

"This one is ours," Mira said, smiling as she led Strider up to the stage area of the float. Mira and Strider would be playing the role of a Fairy Princess and a Prince respectively. Both certainly looked the parts - their clothes gave off a faint glow and sense of respect that the people admired. The float they were on was, of course, imbued with magic. Magical waterfalls fell around them, although they were spared being splashed. They stood on a pedestal that was raised ten feet into the air, the most visible position in the parade. The crowd cheered as they waved at them; guys and girls swooned alike.

"Natsu, Gray, Juvia, Lucy, Wendy! You're with me. You as well Carla and Happy!" Erza yelled to her companions who joined her.

Natsu, in addition to his usual set of clothes, wore a pair of horns and a large dragon like tail. With a massive grin, he began shooting fire off at the crowd, exciting them with his tricks.

"OH YEAH?! WATCH THIS!" he yelled and blew a massive ring of fire into the sky, following it with a few more that went through each other. The crowd cheered as Happy leaped through the rings of fire.

Not one to be outdone, Gray created an ice slide and began going around a figure eight. He wore a cape and crown of ice, giving him a regal appearance, despite his lack of a shirt. Juvia stood in the middle of the float, creating a veil of water that Gray would sometimes leap through. She longingly looked back at the float that Strider was on, desiring to be on the same one.

 _'Soon, my love!'_ she thought.

Suddenly, Gray collided with a ring of fire that Natsu had created. Predictably, the two were almost at each others throats. On her A-game, Erza quickly knocked them out, eliciting a loud cheer from the crowd who assumed it was a part of the ordeal.

"Idiots," she sighed, leaving them crumpled on the floor.

"Scary," Lucy complained, hugging a just as afraid Wendy.

"At least everyone else seems to be doing alright," Wendy noted.

On the float in front of them were Levy, Jet, Droy, Gajeel, and Lily. Levy was wearing a beautiful yellow sundress as her blue hair fell around her; a striking difference from how it was usually kept in place by a yellow hairband. Jet and Droy respectively wore a purple and green suit as they tried to capture Levy's attention. She, however, only had eyes for Gajeel who went with a black suit as his wild hair cascaded down his back as usual. Pantherlily was flying around all their heads.

Not wanted to be outdone by Gray or Natsu, Gajeel suddenly added his own flair. Whipping out his guitar, he dramatically took a seat and began to serenade the audience.

"Uhh…" Levy began before deciding against it.

"Guess we should've expected that," Lucy sighed. While no one wanted to admit it, Gajeel was a decent singer.

"He's not bad," Wendy said uncertainly.

"It's not that he's bad, it's just that… it's just weird, Wendy," Lucy sighed.

"Huh. No kidding," Cana said, coming up behind them with a bottle in her hand.

"CANA?! WHAT'RE YOU DOING HERE?!" Lucy asked in surprise.

"Oh. I was on some other float, but decided to join you guys instead. Don't worry - I got a few cards up my sleeve," Cana said with a wink. Aiming her arms at the sky, several cards suddenly erupted and began to shower the crowd with sparks. They cheered and grabbed at them, laughing as they were softly zapped.

"Not gonna bring out your Spirits?" Cana wondered.

"Ahh…I don't think that's a good idea," Lucy grumbled.

-o-

As the floats proceeded, Sabertooth joined Fairy Tail in front. Sting, Rogue, Lector, and Frosche were on a float that resembled a black and white dragon. Sting and Rogue were having a mock battle with their powers, showering the crowd with black and white sparks.

Olga, Yukino, and Rufus were on the float in front. As Olga sent black lightning overhead, Rufus created multiple things with his memory magic - toys for children, ice knights that gallantly fought each other; and a little snow, copying some of Eves magic. Yukino summoned Libra with whom she did a coordinated dance. The crowd cheered for the beautiful Celestial Wizard and her spirit.

"Crap… what happened to Natsu and Gray?" Sting wondered, looking behind. The two were still knocked out, Erza dancing around their fallen bodies.

"Erza, if I had to guess," Rogue sighed.

-o-

"I hear that Hyberion is coming soon," Ooba said to Jura on the float that they were on.

"Indeed. The Council and Saints thought it best to send him for now," Jura sighed.

"Why him when you, Yoruichi, and Makarov are here?" Ooba wondered.

"They want somebody that's impartial. Because he's a part of Fairy Tail, Master Makarov is out of the running; and because I've worked with Strider in the past, they thought I might not be honest in my review. And Yoruichi is…Yoruichi," Jura sighed.

"I suppose it's better than Serena," Ooba sighed.

"If they had sent him, he'd just want to get in a fight," Jura said with a small smile.

-o-

"Any idea when they're going to be back?" Risley asked Kagura.

"Soi Fon and Master Yoruichi?" Kagura asked.

"Yeah. Soi Fon's already been away for way to long," Risley sighed.

"I know - but she has important business to take care of. I hope they do come back soon, though," Kagura sighed.

-o-

Finally, the parade came to a stop outside in a large plaza where a carnival had been set up. With multiple game booths, bars, eating areas, a ferris wheel, music, and entertainment - it was definitely going to be a fun night. Everyone quickly jumped off their floats and scattered, arguments flying about what to do first.

"Toss the beanbag in and win a prize!" the man tending the booth said as he pointed to a large stuffed fairy.

"I'll give it a shot," Strider said as the man gave him three beanbags. One, two, three - each met their mark.

"Wow, pretty," Asuka said, looking at the large fairy plush toy.

"For you, my lady," Strider said dramatically as he passed it to her.

"Thanks!" Asuka replied happily, hugging the fairy toy. Bisca smiled and scooped her up in her arms again, giggling at how she cuddled it.

"So cute," Lisanna chirped happily. "Bisca, can I hold her for a bit?"

"Sure," Bisca said. Asuka laughed as she hugged Lisanna, eliciting a happy giggle from the girl. Off to the side, Strider noticed Natsu stealing a few glances.

"Looks like Natsu is finally growing up," Strider said as Mira came up next to him.

"I can tell. It's only a matter of time," she said happily.

"Room for another lady?" Cana asked as she slung her arms around both of them, a slight drawl in her voice.

"Fine with me," Strider said, eliciting an eye roll from Mira. "Guess that's a no."

"Hope you're not drunk already, Cana," Mira sighed.

"I barely get drunk," Cana reminded her. "What else do they have here?"

As they began to walk around, they suddenly happened on a Tunnel of Love with a long male and female line.

"Well? What do you think?" Cana asked.

"Per—" Strider began before Mira shoved him into the male line with a wink. Sighing, Strider went along with it.

-o-

"Fellas," Strider nodded at the other male wizards.

"Huh. Didn't figure you'd be on this ride," Gajeel said gruffly.

"I'm curious as to why you are," Strider said.

"Blue made me," Gajeel sighed.

"Ah. Levy?" Strider asked.

"Yup. Same with these two," Gajeel nodded at Jet and Droy, who had their fingers crossed.

"I can guess what they're thinking," Strider said with a laugh. "Laxus? Where's Freed?"

"He decided to go on the other lane," Laxus sighed. "So - you ready for the fight?"

"I am. You?" Strider asked.

"Need to do a bit more training, but I should be good to go. Might be difficult, but it should be fun," he said with a smirk.

"Gildarts is going to be joining as well," Strider said.

"Really? With you, him, and Jura, I'm not sure if the arena will survive," Laxus chuckled.

"You ever go up against Gildarts?" Strider asked.

"Once or twice. Kicked my ass back then, but I think I could take him now," Laxus said

"Get in line. I'm gonna kick his ass first," Gajeel said smugly.

"You could try, but if you can't beat Natsu. I dunno if you have a chance against him," Laxus said.

"ONLY BECAUSE SALAMANDER AND I KEEP GETTING INTERRUPTED!" Gajeel complained loudly.

"I get the feeling you two are never quite going to settle that question," Strider sighed.

-o-

"Isn't this a surprise," Strider said as he got into the small swan boat with none other than Kagura.

"It…I…forgive me. My friends…" Kagura sighed, shaking her head. Risley and Arana had all but forced her onto the ride, giving no heed to her continued complaints.

"It's fine," Strider said with a laugh as they slowly got moving.

"I'm…not quite sure what…" Kagura trailed off.

"Just sit back and enjoy the ride, I suppose. It goes on for a while, from what I understand," Strider said, stretching a bit. They continued the ride in silence until, to Striders surprise, Kagura broke it.

"Your swordsmanship - I'm curious where you learned it?" she wondered. Strider smiled as he thought back on it.

-o-

 _"Ferocity is not enough!" an Elven warrior said as he cut Strider across the chest, creating a deep gash._

 _Close by, an old man was watching the scene unfold. Strider had been with him for a few months and showed a stunning development in power; the boy was no doubt skilled and capable, although he still had a lot to learn. He used his anger to propel himself forward. But as the Elven warrior showed him, anger wasn't enough._

 _"Your anger is clouding your mind, boy. There are times when you need to feel it; but right now isn't one of them," the Elf said kindly as he knelt down close to Strider. The boy refused to cry or give up. He nodded as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths, steadying and centering himself. Finally, he got into position._

 _"Now show me your power," the Elf said, smiling._

 _Strider lunged._

-o-

"I had a few teachers. I started when I was young, though. After I picked it up, I never really put it back down. Like I said at the Ball, I just don't feel right when I don't have my sword with me," Strider said, running his fingers along the hilt.

"Much the same for me. After I began to learn it, I never really wanted to stop. No - I couldn't stop," she said.

"You seem to have put it down for now. That's something, at least. You're not as angry anymore," Strider said.

"Thankfully," Kagura sighed. "I almost did something terrible during the fight against the dragons."

"What do you mean?" Strider asked, frowning.

"You know about Simon, right? My brother?" she asked.

"I do," Strider nodded, remembering the final event of the Games.

"Jellal - he was there during the fight against the dragons. I heard him speaking with Erza. I…I wanted to run my sword right through him…" Kagura said. Strider noticed her clenching her fist hard, tears forming in her eyes. "But I couldn't. After…after my match with Erza - what she said to me - I just couldn't."

"Do you regret not doing it?" Strider asked quietly.

"I don't know. Does that make me a terrible person?" she asked softly.

"Not at all. It makes you human, is all. You shouldn't have had to endure what you did at such a young age. It's reasonable that you would be angry - at Jellal or anyone else," Strider said softly.

"I don't know…if next time, I'll…" she trailed off.

"I don't think anyone knows what they'll do in a situation like that until they do it. The best you can hope for is making sure that when the time comes, you make the best decision you can for your long term happiness. If you had killed him, there's a chance you might've regretted it immediately after," Strider said.

"What should I do? I…I don't want to kill him - not like I used to. But…" she trailed off.

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that," Strider sighed. "I want to say talk to him, but that's cliche and I'm not sure if that'll help."

"What would you do in my situation?" Kagura asked.

"I don't know," Strider said. ' _That's a lie. I already know. I'd kill him,'_ he thought.

"Perhaps you should talk to Millianna and Erza about it. You three know Simon better than anyone else, I imagine. Perhaps talking is the right thing to do? Or get your anger out on him without killing him," Strider said.

"Maybe," Kagura sighed. Strider gently put an arm around her, turning her red.

"W-Wh-Wha…" she sputtered.

"Sorry. Just looked like you needed a hug or something," Strider said with a small smile. Kagura looked away but scooted a bit closer, resting her head against him. She exhaled happily; besides her teammates and Erza, she hadn't gotten this close to someone in a long time.

"This is nice…" she mumbled. Strider smiled, leaning back once again and letting the boat take them along.

-o-

"I appreciate your advice," Kagura said.

"Anytime. If I can help, you've but to ask," Strider said.

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you," she said. With a lightning quick hug, she went to rejoin her teammates while Strider continued.

-o-

"Where's Elfman?" Mira asked as she joined Lisanna, Erza, Cana, Lucy, Wendy, Carla, Jenny, Bisca, Asuka, Laki, and Levy at a table with some food.

"He thought he was being sneaky, but I noticed him leaving with Evergreen. Think they're heading back to the hotel," Lisanna giggled.

"Ugh, TMI," Lucy said, rubbing her temples and trying to get rid of the image.

"So Mira, how was the _Tunnel of Love_?" Lisanna asked with a smile.

"I didn't even know the guy I got paired with," she grumbled. The ride mostly went along in silence as her partner seemed to afraid to talk to her.

"Me neither. Ugh," Cana grumbled along, neither getting the pairing they wanted.

"Wonder who Strider got?" Lisanna asked aloud.

"No idea. Never again, though," Mira said.

"Levy's happy, at least. She got Gajeel," Laki said with a laugh.

"Oh? How was it?!" Mira inquired.

"Did you two—" Cana began before Lucy covered her mouth, nodding at Asuka who was watching with a keen interest.

"Uh…did you two have fun?" Cana asked.

"It…was alright," Levy said, turning red.

"Mama, is she okay?" Asuka asked worriedly.

"She's fine, honey. Just…a little sick, I think," Bisca said with a giggle.

"I hope you feel better!" Asuka shouted at Levy.

"Thanks, Asuka," Levy said, waving at the little girl.

"Do you girls know what the king has planned for tomorrow?" Laki wondered.

"Dunno. I think we have tomorrow and the day after off. I would think so, at least. I don't think anyone got any training in tonight," Jenny sighed.

"It's going to be a tough match," Mira noted.

"We're all entering, right?" Jenny asked.

"Definitely. 50 million jewel," Lucy drooled.

"It should be fun," Wendy said happily.

"I'm thinking we girls should work together a bit," Cana suggested with a smirk.

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked.

"The guys are to muscle headed to even consider it. If we team up, we can probably get rid of most of them," Cana suggested.

"It's not a bad idea," Jenny said, shrugging.

"Levy?" Cana asked. Being the smartest out of them, Levy was their best chance of coming up with an effective strategy. With a smile, they got to work.

-o-

Strider, meanwhile, had joined Laxus, Gajeel, Gray, Natsu, Happy and Lily as they talked about the upcoming fight.

"Gildarts is joining as well," Strider said, informing the others.

"What?!" Natsu exclaimed. Strider nodded.

"Well, we're screwed," Gray lamented.

"I am interested in seeing how he stacks up against you," Lily mused.

"Meanwhile, I want to see how I stack up to him. It should be an interesting fight. Especially now that he and Jura are both involved," Strider said.

"I forgot he was entering. Oh man, we are screwed," Natsu lamented along with Gray.

"Better watch your back. The guilds are gonna gun for you first," Gajeel said.

"I know. It'll be fun, to say the least," Strider said with a smile.

"The fight just got harder," Gray shouted to Lyon as he joined the conversation with Yuka, Toby, and the Trimen.

"What do you mean?" Lyon asked.

"Jura and Gildarts are in," Gray said. The men groaned; Jura and Gildarts were easily worth a few hundred men their own.

"I don't know why you guys are complaining. The more, the merrier, no?" Strider said.

"Of course you would be excited," Yuka said, shaking his head at Strider.

"We're definitely going to have to team up," Gajeel said, not wanting to admit it. But even he wasn't foolish enough to think he could take on a guild master alone.

"Hey Gramps, Gildarts is coming for the tournament," Laxus said as Makarov and Jura approached them.

"Really?" Makarov asked, surprised.

"Yup. Strider invited him," Laxus said.

"Gildarts, Jura, and Strider. This just got even better," Makarov said as Jura smiled as well. He always wanted to square off against the Ace of Fairy Tail.

"Hey, what about us?!" Natsu asked, crossing his arms.

"Huh? Of course, you as well," Makarov said absentmindedly as Natsu deadpanned.

Makarov got on the table as he yelled aloud so everyone could hear.

"Listen up, everyone! Gildarts is coming back! We're taking bets on who will become Champion of Fiore! Will it be Iron Rock Jura Neekis? Or the Ace of Fairy Tail, Gildarts Clive? Or, will it be the…" Makarov turned to Strider.

"What's a good title?" Makarov wondered as everyone sweat-dropped.

"Hmm…or will it be…Strider?!" Makarov roared, just dropping the title as he couldn't think of one.

"Hey, Gramps! What about us?" Max asked as he joined the group.

"Hmm…or will it be Sand Master Max?!" Makarov yelled.

'Sand Master Max…hey, that's actually not bad,' Max thought.

"Place your bets here!" Makarov yelled once more as he sat back down and people began to crowd around him.

"My money's on Strider," someone said.

"No way. Everyone's going to be gunning for him. I'm gonna say that Max kid," someone else said.

-o-

Strider soon excused himself from the fair and headed back to the hotel.

"Going back so soon?" Erza asked as she soon caught up with him.

"I thought I'd call it an early night. Yourself?" he wondered.

"Much the same," Erza said.

"Going to return to that book?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ugh. Please don't bring that up again," she grumbled.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. I never thought you were into that kind of material. It's just too good to pass on," Strider said. Suddenly he leaned in closer. "You want to try it?"

"W-W-What?!" Erza shouted, shocked and turning a bright red. Strider just laughed as he continued walking.

"Kidding, of course. Unless I'm not," he said in a sing song voice.

"It's not funny," she grumbled, giving him a light punch.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he sighed, putting an arm around her. Erza sighed and leaned in, putting hers around his waist. They continued their walk to the hotel in silence. As they arrived, Erza invited him to her room. Getting settled on the bed, she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"You're going to be telling Mira and us whatever we want to know, right?" she asked softly.

"I am," Strider nodded.

"Can I ask you something right now, then?" she wondered, slipping a hand under his shirt. Strider felt her trace his scars, her hand warm to the touch.

"What is it?" he finally answered.

"Have you ever been in love?" she asked. As she asked, she mounted him, a surprisingly intense look in her eye. She took his face in her hands, staring intensely into his eyes.

"I have," Strider sighed.

"With someone from your homeland?" she asked.

"Yes," Strider said.

"Is…is she still…?" she trailed off.

"No. She died about nine years ago," Strider sighed.

"Do you miss her?" Erza wondered.

"Everyday," Strider said, closing his eyes for a short while before opening them. Erza was surprised to a solemn sadness in them.

"What was she like?" she asked.

"She was kind. Beautiful. A loving person that everyone enjoyed being around," Strider said, his voice shuddering. To her surprise, he sprung up. "Sorry, Erza. I'm more tired than I thought. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Strider! Wait!" she shouted. Without another word, however, Strider took his leave. Erza fell back onto the bed, a clenching around her heart.

 _'Who was she?'_ she thought.

-o-

As Strider was out on the balcony, he felt a sudden pain shoot through his shoulder. He grabbed at the spot, cursing it and the Witch-King that gave it to him. It was several minutes before he brought himself under control, although his breathing was still rapid. He chastised himself for leaving Erza so abruptly.

 _'I'll make it up to her tomorrow,'_ he thought, leaning against the railing.

As he headed to his room and put his sword on the bed beside him, he felt it rattle slightly. With a look of disgust, he forced himself into an unpleasant and tormenting sleep.


	29. Anglachel

Strider was awake before everyone else the following morning. As he went out on the balcony, he saw that a gentle mist had descended on the city. The sun was only just beginning to break over the mountains in the distance, casting a soft orange glow behind them. He inhaled the dewy air, cold and crisp to the touch. He breathed a few more times deeply, trying to relax as best as he could.

The previous night had not been a pleasant one. All he could remember was that his sleep was wracked with nightmares that cut him to the marrow, sending him to places and times he had hoped were left in the past. All throughout the night, he continued to feel the shivering of his sword; Anglachel craved more and more blood.

-o-

 _"A weapon?" an old man asked, surprised that Strider would be asking such a thing of him._

 _"This one didn't last too long," Strider sighed, gently laying the broken pieces of a sword down. The blade had been through hell and back; the old man saw that it was broken into three pieces, with the tip of it burned black._

 _"And what exactly did you slay with this?" he asked in interest._

 _"Best I not tell you," Strider said with a short chuckle. "I need something more durable, though. This happens every few months."_

 _"Perhaps if you didn't go so hard on them," the old man suggested._

 _"Then I might as well stop fighting," Strider said. "Come on, old man. I know you're good for it!"_

 _"I have a name, you know," the old man sighed._

 _"I know. Back to the sword, though," Strider said with a grin. The old man sighed, rubbing his brows._

 _"The legendary swords are difficult to come by. Anduril, you know, is already taken; as is Glamdring and Orcrist. Some of them have been lost to memory; to find them would take years I'm afraid that even you don't possess. There is one that comes to mind - but it won't be easy," the old man said._

 _"What is it? And where?" Strider asked._

 _"Anglachel, the blade forged by Eöl, the Dark Elf from a rock that came from the heavens. It's mate, Anguirel, was stolen by his son, so it remains a mystery. Anglachel, however, is rumored to be on Tol Morwen," the old man said._

 _"Tol Morwen? Where's that?" Strider asked._

 _"To the west - where Beleriand once stood," the old man said, sighing deeply as he sat down. He took a piece of sugar cane and began to chew on it, lost in memories of old. Strider allowed him to enjoy the moment before soft interrupting._

 _"Beleriand?" Strider asked. "That means this sword was forged during the First Age, then?"_

 _"It was. Forged by Eöl, it was given as a gift to Thingol of Doriath as thanks. Thingol, however, refused to use the blade, so it stayed in storage until Thingol allowed Beleg to use it in his search for his friend, Túrin, who used it in a state of fervor to kill his friend. That sword is powerful, Strider. Keep in mind that this is no ordinary blade - it is one crafted during the First Age, by one of the most famous elves of the era!" the old man said gravely._

 _"Was Eöl that notable, then?" Strider wondered._

 _"An excellent craftsman and blacksmith who learned his craft from the dwarves of the Age. The swords are considered his masterworks," the old man said._

 _"Tol Morwen…" Strider whispered._

 _"Go west of the Blue Mountains. You'll have to fly long to reach it; Tol Morwen is the westernmost islands that were created during the sinking of Beleriand," the old man said._

 _"I see. I'll set out as soon as I can, then," Strider said._

 _"I urge you to use caution when you go. That sword is not to be trifled with," the old man said._

 _"What do you mean?" Strider asked, intrigued._

 _"When Eöl created Anglachel, he used a stone that fell from the heavens as the base. Already, it was imbued with power. In creating it, however, Eöl poured his malice into the sword," the old man said, sighing heavily. "That blade is evil."_

 _"Evil?" Strider asked, surprised._

 _"Evil and powerful. The legends say that it spoke to Beleg and Túrin as they used it; it wept as Túrin slew his friend. Throughout his life, the blade addled his mind as he used it during his wars - and Túrin, that fool, fought in so many wars. So many things happened to him with that sword that he eventually threw himself on it. Mind that that wasn't the only reason; the man's life was an interesting one, but in his case that was more a curse," the old man said._

 _"Suicide?" Strider asked, surprised._

 _"Yes. With his last words, he asked the blade to kill him and put him to peace at last; and Anglachel agreed to do so. It was buried with him on Tol Morwen. The entire island is likely steeped in the blades anger; be careful when you go," the old man said._

 _"I will," Strider nodded before taking a seat. He stared at the old with a striking resolve in his eyes._

 _"What is it?" the old man inquired._

 _"Beleriand," Strider asked with a small smile._

 _"What of it?" the old man asked._

 _"The land itself is below the water, is it not?" Strider asked._

 _"It is," the old man nodded._

 _"Intact?" Strider wondered._

 _"Mostly, if I had to say. Some parts are utterly destroyed, but never doubt the craftsman of the First Age. They built things with a hand we've since lost. I imagine more of it is intact than the legends let on," the old man said._

 _"Morgoth," Strider began, eliciting a sharp eye from the old man. "He was able to raise mountain ranges from flat land, was he not?"_

 _"He was. A powerful figure, to be certain," the old man said, watching Strider with a close eye. He paid attention to every line on his face, every movement of his eyes, mouth, and otherwise._

 _"If he was able to raise such peaks, wouldn't it be possible - for a powerful enough telekinetic - to raise Beleriand from the sea, then?" Strider asked. The old man paused before laughing uproariously. Strider smiled as he watched his mentor in such high spirits._

 _"Ah, that's a funny one, my boy. You can't be serious," the old man said._

 _"Hypothetically, then," Strider said. As the old man calmed down, he smiled warmly at Strider. While Strider was powerful, he wasn't anywhere near that powerful. However, he decided to humor him._

 _"Hypothetically, then - yes, it likely could be. The power of the telekinetic in question would have to be almost godlike, however. Beleriand is smaller than Middle Earth, but it's a significantly large landmass. To raise it would require time, patience, and power - in spades," the old man said._

 _"I see. Thanks, old man. I'm going to get some rest for now before I set out," Strider said._

 _"Strider," the old man said. Strider paused and turned, tilting his head curiously._

 _"What is it?" Strider asked._

 _"Be wary of that sword. You're strong, but it is as well," the old man said. Strider nodded before finally leaving. As he passed out of his eyesight, the old man sighed and leaned back as far as he could._

 _-o-_

 _"And what is a Dúnedan doing here, if I might ask?" asked an old elven man as Strider set down in Lindon. The elf had white hair that fell past his shoulders as well a white beard; his eyes were keen as stars and his face wise._

 _"Greetings. I'm on my way to Forlindon. Only making a rest stop," Strider said with a slight bow._

 _"And what is your business in Forlindon?" the elf wondered._

 _"To see what lays beyond," Strider answered._

 _"What lays beyond is simply water and memories of old," the elf sighed._

 _"A tragedy that is threatening the rest of the world now," Strider said, sighing as well before he took a seat on the harbor. "The Grey Havens. It's my first time seeing them."_

 _As he looked out ahead on the harbor, it was a beautiful sight to behold. The elvish architecture and craft was apparent; from the beautiful arched bridges and walkways that ran over and across the clear blue water; to the beautiful houses and flora; to the fortresses entrenched in the distant mountains. Straight ahead from the pier were two beautiful watch posts and spires that stood as the sentinel to the gateway that lay beyond. The sight nearly brought a tear to Strider's eye._

 _"It's a beautiful spot, is it not?" the man asked, taking a moment to admire it as well._

 _"I doubt I'd find a maiden as beautiful as it," Strider mused. "Forgive me for not introducing myself. My name is Strider."_

 _"Círdan," he said. Strider knew the name but didn't press him for more._

 _"It's a pleasure, Círdan. I believe I met your attache in Rivendell not very long ago," Strider said._

 _"Ah, Galdor? Yes. I believe he's on his way back now as well. I had word that a group had already set out of Rivendell to complete a paramount task. Has the group been disbanded, then?" Círdan wondered._

 _"No. Not until any of us still live, at least - and I doubt even that would work for long," Strider said seriously. "Our company has had to part ways. I have a new task now."_

 _"And what might that be?" Círdan asked._

 _"I'm afraid that's personal," Strider said._

 _"Personal enough that it would require you going beyond the edge of this world?" Círdan asked._

 _"Yes. Important enough that it would necessitate that," Strider said. He looked back at the elf and offered a smile before looking ahead again. "The end of the age is almost here."_

 _"Yes. I can feel it as well," Círdan said with a sigh. "These old bones look forward to finally getting some rest."_

 _"You don't look century over a few millennia," Strider said with a laugh. Círdan joined along before taking a seat on a nearby crate._

 _"You may learn that what you're looking for beyond these shores will still remain out of your reach," Círdan said._

 _"It's a risk I'm willing to take," Strider said._

 _"Is it a risk you're willing to take when the world is at stake?" Círdan asked. Strider paused, thinking about the question._

 _"It is," he said, looking at the elf directly. Círdan nodded slowly before turning his head back up at the harbor. Memories of old rushed through his head; those of a better and more peaceful time._

 _"Risks have been the ruin of many men. Many an elf and dwarf as well," Círdan mused._

 _"They're also what led us to the peace we had for so long. Lack of resolve, perhaps, might be a more potent adversary," Strider said._

 _"Perhaps," Círdan said, although his tone betrayed a slight bit of sarcasm. "Will you stay for long?"_

 _"Unfortunately not. I'll be gone within a few hours at most," Strider said._

 _"Allow me to bring you something for your travels, then," Círdan said, getting up._

 _"Please, you do—" Strider began, but Círdan had already taken his leave by then. With a sigh, Strider went back to his gazing._

 _-o-_

 _"Thank you," Strider said, digging into a small piece of bread that Círdan had brought him._

 _"Not at all," Círdan said, nibbling the edge as well. "Lembas. A small piece will keep a grown man fed for days."_

 _"So I've heard," Strider mused. "Can I ask you a question?"_

 _"What is it?" Círdan wondered._

 _"What do you know about what lays beyond the Havens?" Strider asked._

 _"A fair bit. Once you leave the Gulf of Lune, you enter Belegaer. The land use to be Beleriand until it was sunk so long ago. Only a few islands remain in-between until you reach Valinor," Círdan said._

 _"Tol Morwen?" Strider wondered._

 _"The final resting place of Túrin and his sword," Círdan said, a curious look in his eye._

 _"How far is it from here?" Strider asked._

 _"What's your interest in it?" Círdan asked. Strider didn't reply, looking back out toward the Gulf. "I see. Tol Morwen is off the northwestern coast, so you'll still have to travel a bit further north. It juts out from the ocean, it's the highest point a sharp peak. The island itself isn't very large."_

 _"How will I know?" Strider asked._

 _"You simply will. There is a special place on the island," Círdan said._

 _"A special place?" Strider wondered. Círdan nodded._

 _"There is a monument there called known as the Stone of the Hapless. It serves as a memorial to the memories of Túrin, his sister Niënor, and their mother Morwen. The tale is long, and I shall not repeat it in full - but the gist of it is that when Túrin learned that he had bedded his own sister, it was what drove him to his death. Their poor mother," Círdan sighed. "Losing her daughter and son so close together, and under less than auspicious circumstances."_

 _"All three are buried there?" Strider wondered._

 _"Túrin and Morwen are. The sister's body was never found," Círdan sighed._

 _"Have many made the journey?" Strider asked._

 _"Indeed, to pay their respects for Túrin. Do you intend to do the same, then?" Círdan wondered._

 _"Similar. I intend to put his legacy to use, at least," Strider said, standing up._

 _"I see. And how will you get there? I'm afraid there aren't many that will make the crossing, especially at this time," Círdan said. Strider smiled and began to levitate a bit, surprising Círdan._

 _"I've my own way of travel," Strider said._

 _"Interesting. You're certainly not like any other man or wizard," Círdan said with a smile. "Careful, though. The waters are always hazardous."_

 _"I will. Thank you, Shipwright," Strider said with a slightly larger smile before he jutted towards the north. Círdan watched him go, a look of interest on his face._

 _-o-_

 _As Strider flew, the wind and rain lashed at his face._

 _'Thank good for telekinesis,' he thought, doing his best to keep some of the rain away. Truth be told, he enjoyed the feeling. The rain was sharp as he flew, almost cutting; the wind cold and crisp. In the distance, he saw an island as Círdan had described to him. A large stony peak rose from the water, sloping back into a more level terrain. There were a few trees, he noted; the island, however, was indeed small._

 _Strider landed atop the peak and took in his surroundings. As far as he could tell, he was the only living thing there. He heard and saw no animal or bird; and besides the rain on the ground, the wind in the air, and the rustling of leaves, there was no other sound to speak of. He slowly began to descend, getting more of a feel for where he was._

 _As he continued his descent, Strider suddenly stopped. Ahead of him by a few hundred meters was a large stone that jutted out of the ground. It was an odd sight to see something so different from the rest of the landscape; there weren't any other large boulders or rocks - and the area around the stone seemed to be cleared. As Strider got closer, he noted an inscription on the stone._

 _"Túrin Turambar, Bane of Glaurung. Niënor Níniel. Here lies also Morwen Eledhwen," Strider read aloud. "This must be it."_

 _Strider stepped away from the stone a bit and sighed deeply before sitting down. He looked at the stone and the ground underneath it, contemplating what he was about to do. In any other situation, he would've chosen not to do it - but he couldn't ignore what was going on in his homeland._

 _"Forgive me," he whispered. "I'll return the blade when I can. But right now, I need it more than you do."_

 _Strider stood up and pointed his hand at the wet earth. It began to shift and rumble before being gently removed and put aside. Looking in, Strider sighed. He saw two sets of skeletons, laid next to each other. One was holding a blade that was hidden in a pristine black scabbard; the other simply had their hands folded across their breasts. Strider leaned down and gently removed the scabbard and sword from Túrin's long cold hands. Taking care, he poured the earth back on the decomposed bodies._

 _Taking a few steps back, Strider paused. Gripping the scabbard tight, he put his other hand on the grip of the sword._

 _It was as though an overwhelming rush of fury passed through him. Strider took in a sharp intake of breath as he felt the anger and hatred that radiated from the sword and into him. With a mighty pull, he wrested it free of its home. The black blade shone menacingly, even in the severe cold around him. He saw no wear or tear along the sword; the cross guard was beautiful and pristine, as was the black grip and pommel. The scabbard was in the same nice condition; it was a beautiful black with three rings close to the opening. Slinging it around his waist, Strider ran a finger down the length of the blade - and immediately, he cut himself._

 _His surprise was amplified as he saw the blood disappear - into the blade!_

 _"What's going on…?" he whispered. He trailed a little more blood across the black sheen and again, it happened - the sword absorbed his blood, it's color never dulling and not a drop showing._

 _Suddenly, Strider understood what the old man said. It started out as a quiet whispering in his ear but grew more and more audible as the seconds passed on. The blade began to shiver and quiver in his hand, becoming more and more erratic. Strider grasped it more tightly and listened carefully, trying his best to filter out the extraneous stimuli. As he listened deeper, he noticed the blade begin to glow a menacing black._

 _'You wake me from my sleep,' the sword said to Strider, almost telepathically. Strider blinked a few times, thinking he was hearing things. He held the blade closer to his ear, his heart beating a bit faster._

 _'I require your help,' Strider replied to the sword. The sword shivered again. Strider felt a bit uneasy; it was as though the sword were trying to judge him._

 _'Very well,' the sword said._

 _'That's it? You've nothing else to say? To ask?' Strider asked, surprised._

 _'I know why you separated me from him. I know what it is you seek. I seek it as well. Use me well, Númenórean - I shall do the same,' the sword said before pausing. 'Your name?'_

 _'Strider,' Strider replied._

 _'Anglachel,' the sword whispered back to him. It was then he felt it in full; the hatred and anger that radiated from the sword. The sword fixated him on one thing and one thing only. Strider rolled his neck, a wave of excitement passing over him. He felt that things would soon change in Middle Earth. Putting the sword back in his scabbard, Strider suddenly erupted from the island and headed towards the mainland, intent on putting his new partner to use at last._

 _-o-_

 _Strider was sitting on a rocky outcrop, his cloak billowing in the wind. Anglachel's tip was driven resting against the ground, and he leaned his head on the pommel, looking straight ahead at the advancing orcs. Night had descended, and evil was working its way across the land. The mottled gray skin of the orc was noticeable even in the dark, however; and their fondness for loud and brusque movement only helped him._

 _With hardly any maneuvering, Strider had cut through three of them. Their heads were easily separated from their bodies, and black blood seeped out from the stumped necks left in its wake. Anglachel absorbed each drop of blood, happy at the feast it was receiving under Strider's ownership._

 _One orc remained, and it faced Strider, a snarl on its lips. As it brought down a heavy iron sword, Strider cleaved it in two. He began to pepper the orc with stabs, taking pleasure in the anguished screams. He stopped just short of killing it, however, and pushed it against a large boulder._

 _"Where is Black Hand now?" Strider whispered to it._

 _"G-Gundabad. Mount Gundabad," the orc said, wheezing in pain. Strider nodded and quickly ended its life._

 _'Gundabad,' Strider thought softly. The stronghold was north of the Misty Mountains and southeast of Angmar, as he had recalled - and under complete control of the orcs._

 _'Let us go to Gundabad,' Anglachel whispered to Strider._

 _'Eager?' Strider asked._

 _'So much blood will be spilled, that I shall not want for days,' Anglachel said._

 _'Days,' Strider scoffed. His sword was always thirsty and always wanting more._

 _-o-_

 _"You're going to Gundabad?" the old man asked._

 _"I am. An orc said that Black Hand was there," Strider said._

 _"How long ago?" the old man asked._

 _"A few days," Strider answered._

 _"Even for you, the trek to Gundabad will take at least a couple of weeks - and Angmar is still steeped in evil that doesn't sleep. And do not forget that Gundabad isn't a town overrun by a dozen orcs - it's one of the great orc strongholds! Even for you, taking the fortress will be a nigh-impossible task on your lonesome! And your telekinesis isn't at the point at which you can simply fell the mountain," the old man said._

 _"Want to come with me, then?" Strider asked._

 _"Certainly not. I am an old man, after all," he said._

 _"So is Gandalf," Strider reminded him._

 _"The Wizard has always been spryer than I," the old man sighed._

 _"Ha. Fine. I'm planning on taking a few friends with me," Strider said._

 _"Ah. Talion and Celebrimbor, then. The Ranger and the Wraith - an odd pairing," the old man said. "Who else?"_

 _"I'll ask Lord Thranduil if he wouldn't mind parting from home for a few weeks as well," Strider said._

 _"I see. And with a few of his elves, it should be more than enough. Yes, I see. Very well," the old man said._

 _"I'll see you around then, old man," Strider said, about to take his leave._

 _"Strider," the old man suddenly said._

 _"Hmm?" Strider wondered._

 _"How is the sword?" the old man asked, his eyes traveling to the scabbard. Strider gave him a wry smile._

 _"We're working it out. Later, old man," Strider said, quickly taking his leave._

 _-o-_

 _"Hell of a company you put together," Talion said as he came up behind Strider. The two sat perched on a peak, surrounded by char black mountains. In the distance, Strider could make out three rising peaks - Mount Gundabad. In front of it, he could see small embers and fires._

 _"On this one, I needed help," Strider said with a smile. Looking behind, he saw the company; Lord Thranduil had come along especially, along with some of the elves from the Woodland realm. Mixed in with them were lead by Brand, King of Dale and grandson of a great bowman; and Dáin II, leading a company of dwarves._

 _"Do you think Black Hand is still there, then?" Talion wondered._

 _"I'm not sure. That said, it's an essential stop for all of us. This place leads to Angmar, and it's better if we have control of it than the orcs," Strider said before getting up. "Is everyone well rested?"_

 _"AYE!" they yelled out at him, springing up._

 _"Mount Gundabad once belonged to the dwarves, and by the end of this battle, I intend to see that restored! Men, elves, or dwarves - we've one thing in common, and that's that we've lost people we love to those bastards down there!" Strider yelled. Those in the crowd agreed angrily with him; day after day, week after week, month after month; someone would encounter an Orc or Uruk and pay the ultimate price._

 _"I say NO MORE! The orcs there pose a threat to the dwarves, elves, and men that call this place home - and tonight, we drive them out! Prepare yourself for battle!" Strider yelled before he began walking down a path. Talion, Thranduil, Dáin, and Brand walked in stride with him._

 _"I am surprised to see you here, Lord Thranduil," Brand said nervously._

 _"Perhaps not as surprised as Dáin," Thranduil mused. "While these orcs do not present a threat to my kingdom, their presence upon my doorstep is enough for me to want to be rid of them."_

 _"Are you alright, my lord?" Strider asked quietly. Thranduil looked at him before offering a small smile. Strider just nodded and kept walking along._

 _"You must be feeling happy about this, Dáin?" Thranduil asked the dwarf._

 _"Aye," the dwarf nodded. "Never thought I'd be fighting alongside ye, Elvenking."_

 _"Not since that fight after the dragon was slain," Thranduil said._

 _"It's about time Gundabad came back to us dwarves," Dáin said gruffly before looking behind him. "Hell of a fighting force."_

 _"Strider does well in whipping up support for his little conquests," Thranduil said._

 _"You make it sound worse than it is, my lord," Strider sighed._

 _"I intended it as a compliment," Thranduil said with a light smile. "It is true, however. Dol Guldur, Mount Gram, the clearing of the High Pass. I wonder what lies ahead for you after Gundabad?"_

 _Strider only smiled at the Elvenking before continuing ahead a bit. Talion caught up to him quickly, curious as well._

 _"How far do you intend to take it?" Talion asked._

 _"How far are you willing to go?" Strider countered._

 _"As far as need be," Talion answered._

 _"As far as need be. Angmar is next; and then, Umbar," Strider said._

 _"Angmar?" Talion asked, intrigued._

 _"Scared?" Strider asked with a grin._

 _"Wishful, more like," Talion said with a chuckle. The two finally drew their blades, their eyes and mouths beginning to burn a bright blue as they finally closed in on Gundabad. As it fell within sight, they began running towards the fortress. Because of it's location, it would've had a fair amount of orcs, but likely none would pose a significant threat. Strider was able to keep their footfall quiet with his telekinesis; and before they knew it, they were upon the orcs._

 _-o-_

 _Strider hacked and slashed with an insurmountable fury. It wasn't long until he was completely covered in the blood of the orcs. He could hear his swords excitement deep in his mind; Anglachel was happy to be getting a veritable feast tonight. Thunder resounded through the sky as fires were lit across the fortress._

 _He saw Talion sever an orcs head from its body and raise it high for all to see. Elsewhere, Thranduil glided across the field, not a single drop of blood on him as far as Strider could tell. His sword was glimmering light on the dark and stark battlefield. Next to him, Strider saw Brand put an arrow through an orcs mouth and saw Dáin deal a crushing blow to the skull of another, caving it in._

 _The howls of the enemy reverberated through the fortress, letting loose lingering mounds of snow in the peaks around them. In the corner of his eye, Strider saw a small team of orcs break free from the carnage and run away. He pursued them for a few hundred meters before they finally stopped, licking their lips in angry._

 _"You're surrounded, Dúnedan!" one of the orcs snarled at him._

 _"All I am surrounded by is fear and dead orc," Strider whispered before thrusting his hand at the one that spoke. The head twisted, echoing a disconcerting snap. While the orcs were surprised by the attack, he quickly cleaved the heads off two more before stepping back into the center, slowly turning._

 _'ORCS IN FRONT, ORCS BEHIND, ORCS ON EITHER SIDE! KILL THEM! I WANT THEIR BLOOD TONIGHT! MORE!' Anglachel roared in his mind. It was the loudest the sword had ever gotten, and it gave Strider some pause. However, he decided not to disobey. The orcs soon bounded on him, putting him the defense._

 _'YOU WILL USE ME TO SLAY THEM!' Anglachel ordered._

 _'I command you, not the other way around,' Strider snarled back. Still, he obeyed. He jumped back and back, side to side, deflecting or dodging the attacks. While his telekinesis would've made otherwise short work of the enemy, he had seemingly forgotten about it; all he wanted was to drive his sword through them. Finally, an opening presented itself. With his back almost to a wall, Strider locked swords with the next attack before leaning to the side a bit and smashing their face into the wall. He followed it up with a crushing blow from the pommel before running the blade through another. Anglachel absorbed the blood and continued to do so as Strider's slashes and stabs became more and more wild. He seemed not to notice that a few of the orcs had landed some blows on him. His cloak had mostly protected him, although it began to tatter as the fight raged on._

 _Finally, he forced the last of the enemy on his knees and rested the sword on his neck._

 _"Where's Black Hand? I know you know! TELL ME!" he roared at it._

 _"Mat!" the orc yelled - die, in its language._

 _"You first," Strider whispered. He brought Anglachel up and cleaved the orc down its shoulders, stopping for a bit to let his sword lap up the blood. Looking ahead, he continued to hear the echoes of pain and anger; sure his work was almost done, he headed back into the fray._

 _-o-_

 _"I thought they'd pose more of a challenge," Thranduil sighed, cleaning his blade and sheathing it._

 _"I'm a bit disappointed," Talion sighed, looking to the west. Even here, he could feel it._

 _"There lies Angmar," Thranduil murmured._

 _"WE DID IT, LADDIES!" Dáin yelled to his companions. The dwarves let out a loud cheer, their excitement at a fever pitch._

 _"The dwarves seem excited," Brand said._

 _"They've reclaimed one of their old homes. It's an important win for them," Thranduil said._

 _"And how are you faring, Elvenking?" Strider wondered. Thranduil smiled and nodded._

 _"A far sight better than I have in a long, long time, Strider. I thank you for the invitation," Thranduil said. Strider smiled and bowed to the mighty king, happy to have had his assistance._

 _"Dáin, I'll leave the rest to you, then?" Strider asked the dwarf._

 _"Aye, laddie. We'll get this place up and running in no time. No orc is going through here anymore," Dáin said, shaking Striders hand. "And where are ye off to?"_

 _"Going to dig in a bit deeper to look for some stragglers. Talion and I will take care of it," Strider said._

 _"I shall take a contingent of my elves and going the opposite direction, then," Thranduil said, looking at where they had just come from. He was sure that a few had probably escaped._

 _"My men and I can take care of it, my lord," Brand offered._

 _"This I would prefer to see to personally. With me!" Thranduil ordered, setting out immediately._

 _-o-_

 _"Celebrimbor?" Strider wondered, noticing that Talion's eyes and mouth were blazing blue._

 _"It is I," Celebrimbor said._

 _"Lord Thranduil must be happy," Strider said with a smile._

 _"His wife was left to rot in this place. Those few orcs that escaped will not fall without knowing her pain," Celebrimbor mused._

 _"I certainly hope not," Strider said._

 _"Why have you come this way, however? Even the bravest orcs will not venture this way without reason," Celebrimbor said. Especially in his diminished state, he could feel the horrors and evil of the land surrounding him._

 _"Just…a feeling, I guess. You may be right. But I want to make sure. One orc escaping is one too many," Strider said._

 _"On that, I concur," Celebrimbor said. "You and your sword seem to take to each other well."_

 _"Hmm? Yeah, I suppose we do," Strider said, turning the blade over in his hands a few times._

 _"Take care with it. I advise you to return it as soon as the war is done," Celebrimbor advised._

 _"You worry too much," Strider sighed. "Did you learn anything from the orcs?"_

 _"Bits and pieces. One said - and another confirmed - that the Black Captains were going to Fornost."_

 _"In Arnor?" Strider asked, stopping._

 _"Correct. Perhaps that should be our next destination," Celebrimbor suggested._

 _"Right. Umbar after, then. Let's head out there after we get some rest, then," Strider suggested._

 _"Very well. I shall head back to camp now, however," Celebrimbor said, wistfully looking in the distance._

 _"Alright. I'll catch up with you soon, then," Strider said, continuing on his way through the mountains, towards Angmar._

 _-o-_

 _As Talion/Celebrimbor took his leave, Strider levitated and flew north for a bit before stopping in. In the distance, he saw the Iron Mountains - and notably, Thangorodrim, a group of three large and active volcanos. Even from a distance, they looked dreadful and imposing, their mighty black peaks piercing the air and surrounding the lower land in shadow. Strider could make out rivers of running lava and black smoke rising in the far air. He breathed it all in; the air had a different quality to it here than anywhere else._

 _'Angband,' he heard his sword say._

 _"Hmm," Strider hummed. He knew the fortress was close by and underground, save for the entrance that lay somewhere entrenched in the volcanos._

 _'This will come later,' Strider thought, swiveling Anglachel in his hands._

-o-

"Hey. You there?" Strider heard Bisca say. He snapped out of his funk and looked at her, blinking a few times before offering her a small smile.

"Yeah, sorry about that. Was just reminiscing," he said, slinging an arm around her and pulling her close.

"Happy thoughts?" she asked.

"Very happy," Strider said. "That said, I hope didn't ignore you for to long. That wouldn't make me very happy."

"Nah, I just got out here as well," Bisca said, kissing him on the cheek. "Any plans for today?"

"I promised Mira and Cana a few days ago that I'd take them out. We should be training, but no fun in that," Strider said.

"Says the guy who'll probably win the fight," Bisca sighed.

"I dunno. If Asuka enters…" Strider said, picking up the little girl who was trying to climb his leg yet again. "…I might be outmatched."

"Take that!" Asuka giggled, shooting Strider point blank in the face with her toy gun. She landed a shot clear on his forehead, eliciting a chuckle from him.

"I'm lucky that wasn't an actual bullet, otherwise this would've been an end to my story," he said.

"I'm not letting her get near live ammo for another decade, at least," Bisca sighed, taking her daughter in her arms again. "What do you want to do today, sweetheart?"

"I want to play with Wendy!" Asuka shouted as the young Dragon Slayer came out.

"I don't mind!" Wendy chimed. She had grown close to the little girl over the last couple of days.

"Thanks, Wendy, but you should enjoy yourself," Bisca said.

"Mama, you can come too!" Asuka declared.

"I was just going to go hang out with Shelia. Asuka can come along too!" Wendy said.

"I guess I'll tag along," Bisca sighed before turning back to Strider. "I'll see you later."

"Take care," Strider nodded. Rapping on the balcony a couple of times with his knuckles, he sighed heavily and exited soon as well.

-o-

"Hey," Cana said as she met up with Strider.

"Hi," he said, kissing her on the cheek. "It's been a while since we've had some time with each other."

"No kidding," Cana sighed, taking his arm in hers and leading him on the path out of Crocus, into the forest. "How're you feeling?"

"Pretty good, overall. Just a bit achy from that fight against the dragons, but that's it. What about you? Everyone took some hard knocks that night," he said.

"I was just scratched up a bit - nothing to bad," she said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I think I was more worried about you after that whole thing than I was fighting the dragons."

"You should know me better than that by now," Strider said.

"I guess, but that doesn't mean I won't worry," Cana said seriously.

"I appreciate it," Strider said quietly. Cana smiled and gave him another kiss on the cheek before resuming their walk.

"Curiously, where are we going?" Strider wondered.

"I read something about a nice little waterfall in the forest. Thought we'd just relax there," she said.

"Works for me. That said, shouldn't you be training for the Contest?" Strider asked.

"I will tomorrow," Cana sighed. "Ugh. You, Jura, Erza, Mira, Natsu, Gray, Laxus, Gajeel…and so many others. We're gonna have our work cut out for us."

"A great strategy can fell even the strongest warrior," Strider said.

"Guess we'll see," Cana said in a sing song voice.

"You seem more confident about it than you're letting on," Strider mused.

"You'll see," she said again with a giggle.

-o-

As they reached the waterfall, Cana began to take off her clothes and get in the pool, wearing just a black bikini. She turned around and gave Strider a seductive look before slowly lowering herself in, exhaling as the cold water brushed gently against her skin. Strider smirked and followed, exhaling happily as he got settled. Cana quickly got comfortable around him, resting her head against his chest as she ran her hands across the water.

"Strider," she suddenly said.

"What's up?" Strider asked.

"You're going back to your home in a few months, right?" she asked.

"I likely will be. Only for a short while, though. I'll come back soon," he said.

"I get that. I was just wondering…can I come with you?" she asked quietly.

"What?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Can I come with you? To your home, I mean," she said.

"I…ummm…" Strider trailed off.

"I'm curious to see what it's like," she said.

"I'll give it some thought. It's not the easiest journey," Strider said.

"You'll be using your powers, right?" she asked.

"Sure, but even that can go awry - more so with more people. There's not a lot of places or times to rest," he said.

"Just…give it some thought," she said.

"I will," Strider said quietly.

'I wonder what they'd think of it?' Strider wondered to himself. His home was certainly beautiful, but he wasn't sure that it was a good idea to take anyone there just yet.

Cana soon pulled a bottle from her bag. She took a swig and offered some to Strider, who gladly obliged.

"When did you start drinking?" he wondered.

"Hmm…I think I was 13?" she said.

"That's pretty young," Strider said, surprised.

"Fairy Tail's pretty chill, if you haven't noticed," she giggled. "I don't remember how I got started, really. I think it was around the time that I wanted to tell Gildarts who I was, but just…couldn't. One thing led to another, and it became a problem."

"So I've heard. Mira mentioned to me once that 30% of the alcohol budget is just for you," Strider said with a laugh.

"Hey, I bring in my fair share of jewel," Cana scoffed.

"What about spending that jewel at bars, then?" Strider asked.

"The best beer is at Fairy Tail. No doubt about that," Cana said.

"You've been at the guild for how long, now?" Strider wondered.

"Mmm…I think it's been 19 years now. Before Erza, Natsu, Gray, or Mira joined, that's for sure. I remember that Gray was a stripper, even back then," Cana sighed, rubbing her temples a bit. "I was the one who always had to tell him whenever he did it."

"Guess some things never change," Strider chuckled.

"Nope. Natsu's still the little kid he always was; Erza was quiet back then, but still responsible. Mira's the one that changed the most; a lot nicer now. She was a bit a bitch back then," Cana giggled.

"What about before Fairy Tail?" Strider wondered.

"Hmm? Oh…Let's see…" Cana said, shifting a bit. "I…stayed at some orphanages around Magnolia for a while, after my mother died. They took really good care of me; it also helped that the town itself has always been really nice. Before that, I lived with my mother, though."

"What was she like?" Strider wondered, holding her a bit tighter. Cana was thankful for the embrace; she leaned back a bit more, getting a bit more comfortable.

"She was…kind. Beautiful. I was six when she died - I still don't know what happened, except that she had gotten sick. She told me about Gildarts, but he was a the Guild Hall so rarely that I never really had the time to tell him. Then whenever I did see him, I just didn't have the courage to. Here was my dad, this super strong wizard that everyone knew - and then there was me, some random kid who barely knew anything about him. I…thought I couldn't tell him until I got stronger," Cana sighed.

"Do you regret not telling him sooner?" Strider asked.

"Yeah. A lot," Cana said. "We could've spent so much more time together."

"Are you mad at him at all?" Strider asked.

"Not really, honestly. I don't think he knew about me - and he's pretty dumb, so I wouldn't expect him to know how making babies works," Cana sighed, eliciting a chuckle from Strider. "But no, I'm not mad at him. Still, I'm gonna kick his ass for sure during the Contest."

"I think you might have a good shot at that," Strider said.

"What about your dad? I…noticed you don't really talk about your parents that much. I understand if you don't want to, it's just…" Cana trailed off. Strider sighed, resting his on her shoulder. Cana brought her hand to his head, gently playing with his hair as she patiently waited for him to answer.

"I don't really remember much about him or my mother. I was pretty young when they both died. All I know is we lived in a pretty small village that was overrun by the enemy. He was a ranger, and she was the daughter of a farmer. At this point, I can't really remember their faces either," Strider said.

"Did you try to learn more about them?" Cana asked.

"A long, long time ago. I stopped, eventually. I…just wanted to move on at a certain point," Strider said.

"Mira mentioned something about you living a few hundred years because of your ancestry," Cana said.

"That was one of the things that I did learn. Both of my parents descended from a line of men and women that had an extended lifespan. That, in turn, passed on to me," Strider said.

"Even though you just told me, it's still insane," Cana sighed.

"As insane as being able to call lighting from a magic card?" Strider asked.

"Ha. Touché," Cana giggled. She exhaled deeply as she leaned back a bit more and brought his hands into hers. "You know, every other time you and I have had some time together, we've been interrupted."

"Don't I know it. Perhaps I should have been a bit more adventurous that first night I stayed with you," Strider said.

"Like I would've let you," Cana giggled, turning around. She smiled as she put her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Strider smiled and turned around, her back against the edge of the wall. They were both silent, interrupted only by the light crashing of the water into the pool below. Finally, Cana closed the distance between them - something she had wanted to do for a long time.

As she kissed him, she weaved a hand through his hair and to keep him in place. She felt his hands descended down her body, tightly grabbing her ass as he returned the kiss passionately.

"Mmm," Can moaned, feeling his tongue enter through her parted lips. She wrapped her legs tighter around his waist, thrusting him as close as possible. Letting go of his hair, she traced the scars along his back with her fingers while her stomach felt the scars along his front.

Strider broke the kiss and began to move down her neck, roughly pulling her hair to the side, taking pleasure in the continued moans of pleasure she sang out. As he got back to her lips, Strider hoisted her up and left the pool. He quickly took her to the ground, her legs wrapped around his waist. As he began to undo the string that held her bikini together, however, Cana stopped him.

"That's for later," she said seductively.

"I'm good with now," Strider said.

"I know," Cana giggled, kissing his cheek before going to his ear. "But that's no fun for me. Like I said, I may look easy, but I'm not."

"That's no fun for me," Strider grumbled.

"Disappointed with kissing me, then?" she asked with a slight pout.

"Yeah right," he said with a grin, going back to her lips with more passion. Cana giggled into the kiss, rewrapping herself around him as she continued the clash with his lips and tongue.

-o-

"You're certainly going to make me work for it," Strider sighed as they headed back to Crocus.

"And hard," Cana said in a sing-song voice. "But what did you think of today?"

Strider stopped and slung his arm around her, pulling her close. Cana smirked and clicked her tongue, leaning up and giving him another kiss. Even as they parted lips, she kept hers close to his, her breath tickling him.

"Got it," she said. As she leaned back, she saw that his eyes were full of passion for her - the exact response she wanted.

"What now, then?" he wondered.

"Think I'll go train. Mira's probably still with Lucy, though," Cana said.

"Got it. Well, enjoy. I'll see you soon," Strider said, giving her one more for the road.

-o-

As he got back to the hotel, Strider came across Erza.

"Hey, Erza," Strider said warmly.

"Strider! I am so sorry about last night!" Erza said, giving him a tight hug. Strider sighed but smiled, returning the hug.

"It's fine," he said. "Forgive me. It's…a very sensitive topic for me."

"I understand. There's no rush to say anything," she said.

"Are you heading to your room?" he asked.

"I am. Would you like to join?" she asked.

"Sure," Strider shrugged.

As they got settled, Erza hugged her knees to her chest, looking at him contemplatively.

"What is it?" Strider asked quietly.

"It's nothing. Just…sorry. I can't stop thinking about it," Erza sighed.

"It's fine," Strider nodded.

"It's not. I've no right to act like this, yes…" Erza trailed off, rubbing her face with her hands. Strider sighed and moved to the bed, putting an arm around her.

"It's fine," he said, giving her a kiss on her head. Erza sighed at his touch and leaned in. Looking at the nightstand, Strider suddenly let out a laugh.

"Still reading this, then?" he asked, picking up the erotic literature.

"IT'S NOT THAT!" she squealed, quickly throwing the book across the room.

"We all have our desires," Strider said, happy for the change in topic. "I just didn't know yours was you being domina—"

"If you finish that sentence, I will separate your head from your body," Erza said, materializing a sword in her hands. It suddenly flew from her hands, however, as Strider soon had her on the bed and towered over her.

"Oh? Are you sure about that, Miss Scarlet?" he asked in a husky tone. Erza blushed a bright red that matched her hair, eliciting a laugh from Strider. He leaned down closer and closer until their lips were almost touching. She could feel his hair tickling against her cheek, his eyes full of the passion he had a few nights ago when he kissed her.

"Telekinesis works pretty well to bind, you know. Don't even need ropes like in the book," he chuckled.

"That sounds…uh…ummm…" Erza said, flustered. Strider laughed, getting off to the side next to her. Erza grumbled before turning to face him.

"It's a bit early to be going back to sleep," she said. Nonetheless, she put an arm around him and leaned in a bit closer.

"Yeah, but not too early for a nap, I think. Care to join?" he asked, caressing her cheek.

"Y-Y-You mean sleep together?!" Erza asked, turning red again.

"Nap together," Strider said with a laugh. "Although, if you want to get technical, then yes, I suppose so."

"Well, it's just you and I—and we—and the others…" she babbled, flustered.

"I promise not to try anything if you won't," Strider said.

"It—fine," Erza said, smiling slightly. She felt Strider bring her in a bit closer and she happily leaned in. Resting her head against his chest, she felt surprisingly comfortable.

"This…" Erza began softly.

"Hmm?" Strider asked.

"I don't think I've ever slept with someone like this is all," she muttered.

"Sweet dreams, Erza," Strider said, tilting her head up and giving her a soft kiss. Erza was surprised but returned it with just a much sweet passion. As they parted, she looked at him with longing - and saw the same look in his eyes. But as much as she wanted to continue the kiss - and have it evolve into something much deeper - she found that her current position was just too nice to pass on.

"You too, Strider," Erza said, softly closing her eyes. She smiled as she felt Strider gently running a hand through her hair. It was a warm feeling she couldn't recall having ever felt before - and wanted to experience it for as long as possible.

It was a good thirty minutes before Strider saw that Erza was asleep. Her lips were curved in a gentle smile as part of her hair covered her eyes. Her head was against his chest as one of her hands clenching onto his shirt. Strider smiled and got just as comfortable before slipping into sleep as well.

He tried his best to ignore Anglachel rattling gently on the nightstand.


	30. Warpath

_"You are aware that this crusade will eventually stop, no?" Thranduil asked Strider. The two were walking along a narrow path that led into the mountains, enjoying the fruits of their labor before they had to part._

 _"Against the Orcs?" Strider asked as a small gust of wind rushed through._

 _"Against evil itself," Thranduil corrected him._

 _"I'm not so sure about that, my lord," Strider said with a slight laugh. "It's a hard thing to get rid of, I admit. But I suppose we'll see."_

 _"Nigh impossible. It's existed since after incarnation. Orcs, Uruks, Wildmen, wraiths, trolls, spiders, giants - it goes on and on. Elves, men, dwarves - older and wiser than you, perhaps - have tried and failed," Thranduil said._

 _"Nigh impossible isn't quite impossible, my lord. I thank you for the wiggle room," Strider said with a small smile. "At the least, though, as long as this war continues so will this fighting. I will do everything in my power to reduce evil in this land - even if by just a little bit."_

 _"I suppose you're correct," Thranduil noted, looking around. "This was a significant victory to all concerned - as well as at least a bit of personal satisfaction. You will continue to Umbar, then?"_

 _"I will, sir. Are you sure you don't want to come along?" Strider asked._

 _"Unfortunately, I cannot. My realm is close, and I must stay near it as long as this war continues. I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to attack, but I cannot deny the possibility. I will send all the aid that I can, however," Thranduil said._

 _"Thank you, My Lord," Strider said, pausing to bow._

 _"Lift your head, Strider. You've little reason to bow to anyone," Thranduil said graciously._

 _"To those that I respect, I should. I made that mistake with Prince Imhrahil one time," Strider said with a boyish grin as he stood back upright._

 _"Ah, yes. I've heard. The boy will make a good king in the future," Thranduil said._

 _"My lord, are you sure that you don't want to negotiate with Dáin about this place? I think he'd be amenable," Strider said as they reached the top of the path. Looking down, they could see the roaring fires of the stronghold they had taken. The dwarves wasted no time in getting it up and running, as Dáin told Strider; it was already looking cleaner than before._

 _"I am. I've no wish to ever return to this realm again if I don't have to. I've seen to the ruin of the orcs here; that is as much as I wanted of this place. Dáin is welcome to it, so long as he remains aware of my land nearby," Thranduil said. Strider was sure that Dáin and Thranduil wouldn't come to blows; the two respected each other, having fought together almost six decades ago. While the relationships between elves and dwarves were often contentious, the two kings had found an easy peace between them._

 _-o-_

 _"Celebrimbor," Thranduil said as he and Strider came back to camp. "I wish to speak with you. Come."_

 _Celebrimbor erupted forth and followed the Elvenking. As Strider took a seat, Dáin and Brand came to on either side of him._

 _"What's next, laddie?" Dáin asked._

 _"I'm going to be going to Umbar next. I don't suppose you'll want to tag along, hmm?" Strider asked._

 _"Gonna have my hands full here," Dáin sighed. "Some of me boys want to go, though - if you'll have 'em."_

 _"Happily. Thank you, Dáin," Strider said._

 _"Don't mention it. You'll always be a friend of the dwarves now," Dáin said, clapping Strider on the shoulder and grinning wide._

 _"I'm afraid I can't go either, Strider. I have to return to Dale," Brand said._

 _"It's fine, Brand. Me, Talion, some elves, dwarves, and men - more than enough to get rid of those bastards. Might even pick up a few stragglers along the way," Strider said._

 _"To be honest, Strider, this was a lot easier than I thought it'd be," Brand mused._

 _"Gundabad isn't as strong as it was six decades ago. Most of the orcs retreated into the Misty Mountains. There were more than enough for any one of us, though; couldn't have done it without a joint effort," Strider said._

 _"With your magic, I doubt that a bit," Brand said with a nervous chuckle. "But all's well that ends well - and it certainly looks as though everything turned out well. At least we won't have to worry about this place anymore."_

 _"So long as that hellhole stays locked off," Dáin said, hiking a thumb towards the northwest._

 _"Angmar," Brand whispered._

 _"Long bereft of lordship, but just as evil nonetheless," Strider mused._

 _"Is…is it that bad?" Brand asked._

 _"Worse, young king," Thranduil said as he and Celebrimbor returned. "I've fought the Fire Drakes of the north, and many of them called it home. It is hell incarnate. The evil there is strong still."_

 _"Enough to drive off most orcs," Celebrimbor mused._

 _"Is it safe for us to stay around here, then?" Brand asked._

 _"So long as you're not foolish enough to venture deeper into the abyss," Thranduil said._

 _"Enough o' that! COME ON BOYS, LETS GET ANOTHER FIRE ROARING! PUT ON SOME MEAT, BRING OUT THE BREAD, AND POUR SOME WINE! NO SLEEPING TONIGHT!" Dáin roared happily. The other dwarves and men - and even some elves! - joined in on the cheer and merriment._

 _"Not going to join?" Talion asked, reverting back to his usual self._

 _"I just want an image of this for reference," Strider said with a sad smile. As he turned to face his friend, Talion nodded._

 _"We're with you all the way," Talion said quietly._

 _"Perhaps you—" Strider began._

 _"That's not my style," Talion sighed, clapping Strider on the shoulder and joining in on the fun._

 _-o-_

 _"Stay a while in my realm after your assault on Umbar, Strider. Even warriors need rest," Thranduil said as he got on his beautiful horse._

 _"I thank you for your grace, my lord Thranduil. I think I'll take you up on that after I liberate Umbar," Strider said, bowing to the Elvenking once more._

 _As they set out once more, a couple of the elves that Thranduil had left with Strider joined him at the fore._

 _"Strider," one of them said. She was a beautiful elf with waist length blonde hair. She wielded two daggers, neatly sheathed at her side, and carried a beautifully carved bow on her back, her quiver fit to burst with shots._

 _"Ah, Amarie. Hello," Strider said with a small smile._

 _"We're heading to Umbar, no?" she wondered._

 _"We are. Are you ready to fight again?" Strider inquired._

 _"I am always ready," she said with a light smile._

 _"Amarie is far too brutish to be an elf," another elf girl said with a giggle._

 _"Play nice, Zentha," Strider said._

 _"You're a couple thousand years too young to be telling me to do much of anything, Strider," she said, flipping some of her raven hair in his face._

 _"Is it a good idea to be fooling around with him like that?" an elf sighed behind them._

 _"Strider can take it," Zentha said. "At least I hope he can. Can't have a captain that gets angered to quickly, can we?"_

 _"If I'm too brutish to be an elf, you're too silly," Amarie sighed._

 _"I can still outshoot you," Zentha said in a sing-song voice._

 _"As I recall, you lost our last bout. You could barely hit the stem of a leaf from a hundred feet away," Amarie sighed._

 _"Only because you blew at it!" Zentha said furiously._

 _"A convenient excuse for your lack of skill," Amarie said, flipping her own hair in Zentha's face before turning forward._

 _"Children," Celebrimbor said in his usual, hollow voice. It sent a shiver up the spines of the company, which gave Strider a good laugh._

 _"No need to worry about him. Unless you get on his bad side," Strider said._

 _"I've meant to ask you - have you been practicing?" Celebrimbor wondered._

 _"I have," Strider said, clenching his fist multiple times. "Took some work to figure it out as well as I have now, though. I thought that transcribing my telekinesis to telepathy would be easy."_

 _"Hardly. And in this case, it's certainly the most primitive form of telepathy. Ideally, you would be able to converse with your target across a distance, but it is certainly a start. Had you focused on any other sort of magic or power, you likely would not have been able to Dominate anything," Celebrimbor mused._

 _"Helps that old man I helped out of Mirkwood had some lessons to give me," Strider said. "Still have to get used to taming beasts, though."_

 _"Easier than taming an orc or man," Celebrimbor sighed. "We shall put it to the test at Umbar. It will not be as easy as Gundabad."_

 _"What's Umbar like, then?" a man at the rear asked._

 _"A realm of man south of Gondor," Strider shouted, loud enough anyone could here. "A place my ancestors once lived. The Corsairs have been giving trouble to Gondor for as long as I can remember. Corrupted Númenóreans, loyal only to themselves. They've allied themselves with the enemy - more than enough reason to seize that place."_

 _"Know how to ride a ship, Cap'n?" a blond man asked with a roguish smile._

 _"Not at all! When you can fly, why use a ship?" Strider wondered._

 _"It's fun! Turnin' that wheel back n' forth, side ta side. Sail's full o' wind, a few fish skinned. Some rum n' you relax the day away," the man said._

 _"Huh. Maybe you can give me a few lessons, then. I'll be honest, I don't think I've ever even been aboard a ship," Strider mused._

 _"Cap'n! You gotta let us take you on it, then! You ain't lived 'til you been on the seas! Rogue waves, spouts, n' all kinda monsters livin' under it all!" the man shouted._

 _"Fine, fine. But only after we finish the job, Kenway," Strider said._

 _"Aye, Cap'n," Kenway said with a grin._

 _"Pirates truly are brutes," Amarie sighed._

 _"Less than you, still," Zentha scoffed. Strider saw the two elvish women give each other a leery grin and sighed, deciding it best not to interfere._

 _-o-_

 _"Fifteen men on the Dead Man's chest; Drink and the Devil had done for - ah, Cap'n. What can I do for you?" Kenway wondered, standing up as Strider approached. They had made camp just a short ways away from where the ships were docked. Strider had opted to wait until night had set before attacking._

 _"Singing?" Strider wondered, motioning Kenway to sit down._

 _"Aye. You know the song?" he asked._

 _"Can't say I do. What is it?" Strider wondered._

 _"We called it Derelict," Kenway mused. "The mate was fixed with the bo'sun's pike and the bosun brained with a marlin-spike, and Cookie's throat was marked belike it had been gripped by fingers ten and there they lay all good dead men, Like break o' day in a boozin' den, Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of rum!"_

 _"What's it about? A pirates life?" Strider wondered._

 _"Aye, in part. A Cap'n long ago marooned fifteen men on an island called Dead Man's Chest. Gave 'em a cutlass and a bottle o' rum and left 'em to off each other. When he came back, they were all fine. That don't make for a good story or song, though - so some genius came up with the song. Put 'em on a ship with marlin-spikes 'n swords 'n axes 'n what else," Kenway said with a chuckle._

 _"Were you a pirate before all this?" Strider wondered. Kenway looked at Strider before laying down, sighing deeply._

 _"Aye. Just a skipper, though. My ship 'n her crew went down a couple years ago. Fought this bastard of a ship we just came across. Gave it Hell. It gave us hell. In the end, just me 'n some poor sap from the other ship made it to shore," Kenway said._

 _"What happened then?" Strider wondered._

 _"Bastard woke up the same time as I did and we went at it. Runnin' through a forest, tryin' to pick the other one off. Took these off o' him, in fact," Kenway said, pulling up his sleeves. Strider was interested to see two retractable blades under his wrists, well hidden by his long, white sleeves._

 _"This coat here belonged to 'em too. Bastard gave me more hell fightin' him than his ship did!" Kenway said with a happy laugh. "Ah, but got 'em in the end."_

 _"I'm curious, Kenway - why'd you decide to join up with me?" Strider wondered._

 _"Been lookin' for somethin'. Dunno what. Just somethin'," Kenway mused._

 _"And you think you can find it with me?" Strider asked._

 _"Dunno. Might just find myself dead. Could be tonight or tomorrow or night or whenever. Can't stand them bastard Kings, though. Gondor, Rohan…hell, that poppy Elvenking," Kenway said. Suddenly, an arrow was shot between his legs. Zentha glared at Kenway, her bow drawn and arrow pointed at Kenway._

 _"Careful there, sweetheart. Could ya poked my eye out with that thing," Kenway said with a grin._

 _"One more word on Lord Thranduil from you, and I'll gouge them out," Zentha said, firing the arrow. It zipped past Kenway, who didn't flinch. He licked away some of the blood on the small cut the attack had opened._

 _"Thranduil is a decent king," Strider said as Zentha turned away to congregate with her friends. "Better than others, I would say."_

 _"A king's a king's a king," Kenway sighed. "But that ain't here or there. Can't stand the bastard Kings so no way I could live in them cities. And not a bunch of other options unless I wanna stay in some backwater or place of peace. That ain't for me, Cap'n. I need to be out there."_

 _"Fighting?" Strider asked._

 _"Fighting. Running. Something. No peace for me, Cap'n," Kenway said._

 _"You'll have to settle down eventually," Strider said._

 _"Ha. Already did. Got a beauty back home deep south. But… she knows I can't stay cooped up long. But she ain't for the road," Kenway said._

 _"Perhaps it might be best to go nearer to where she is, then? Surely, you can find some excitement there," Strider said._

 _"Just fields and mounts. No orc, no uruk, no goblin, no pirates. None of the fun stuff," Kenway said with a grin. "But I don' wanna bore you with my stories."_

 _"Not at all," Strider said with a smile. "So - you know your way around a ship?"_

 _"O'course. Been shippin' since a boy. Love the sea more than my girl, I think. Don't let her hear that, though," Kenway said with a laugh. Strider chuckled along before getting up._

 _"Get a few more hours rest and relaxation, Kenway. Thing's are going to get exciting soon," Strider said._

 _"Aye, Cap'n," Kenway said before getting back to his singing._

 _-o-_

 _"You have a job for him?" Talion wondered as Strider sat down with him._

 _"Yup. I'll keep it a surprise for now, though. Are you ready?" Strider asked._

 _"More than ready. Hand's probably left, but it'll be a win nonetheless. Bastard Númenóreans," Talion scoffed._

 _"Think they're redeemable?" Strider asked quietly. Talion gave him a long and hard look before shrugging._

 _"Dunno. They're still Men. Twisted and corrupted men, but men still. Maybe. But I haven't heard of one defecting yet," Talion said._

 _"No, nor have I," Strider sighed._

 _"It'd make our jobs easier. Would've saved a few lives, too," Talion said._

 _"Mmm. Oh well," Strider said, his voice slightly mocking._

 _"What do you plan to do after it's done?" Talion asked._

 _"We'll see where Black Hand's gone off to. An—" Strider had begun before Talion cut him off._

 _"After the war is done, I meant," Talion said. Strider thought on the question; he'd been asking himself over and over again. As he softly caressed his sword, however, he had the answer._

 _"My best," Strider said. Talion's eyes fell on Strider's sword for a second as well before he nodded._

 _"As will I, then," Talion said. Strider nodded, happy to have his help._

 _-o-_

 _"Let me get this straight, Strider. A few of us - elves, dwarves, men and…well, you and Talion - are gonna try to take Umbar - an important city to the Black Númenóreans. By force. Tonight," asked a ginger haired dwarf wielding a crossbow. He had joined as they walked along the eastern edge of the Misty Mountains, along with a friend he was traveling with._

 _"That's about it, Varric. Not scared, are you?" Strider asked with a smile._

 _"Me? No, no - why would I be scared? After all, we're only a motley crew against an entire city. Seems perfectly reasonable," Varric said._

 _"Your sarcasm is bleeding through. Again," replied an elf._

 _"Under this crazy captain, sarcasm is about all I have, Solas. Honestly, I'm surprised at you," Varric said, looking at the serious elf. Unlike the other elves, Solas was completely bald._

 _"Oh? And why is that?" Solas inquired._

 _"You haven't given him one of your famous pep talks," Varric said, rolling his eyes._

 _"I'm curious, Solas - which tribe are you from?" Zentha wondered._

 _"I am not of this country, Zentha. I came from the Eastern Country long ago," Solas said._

 _"What's it like?" Amarie wondered._

 _"Not unlike what you find here. We, like you, have our own problems to deal with, and our own solutions to implement. As it stands, there are several cold and hot wars taking place," Solas said._

 _"We haven't opened up trade with your country yet, have we?" another man wondered._

 _"No, not yet. It hasn't been very necessary. The sea, while cross-able, isn't a journey many ships are willing to make at any given moment just yet. Unless the world births some braver captains, or is kind enough to quell the storms in between, travel will be few and far between," Solas said._

 _"How did you make it here, then?" Zentha wondered. Solas was about to reply when Strider stopped. The others followed, carefully looking ahead._

 _Below, they could see some lights roaring. Several ships were docked in the bay and the enemy was moving around. It seemed that most were just having fun; beyond what Strider imagined to be the shipwrights, there wasn't much movement aboard the vessels. He could see several men stumbling out of what appeared to be a bar._

 _'Fools,' he sighed._

 _"Do you know what makes this place so valuable?" Strider asked aloud._

 _"It's place on the water, Cap'n," Kenway immediately answered. Anyone could see it a mile away, he thought. "The Corsairs have some of the best ships - and they're all aimed at Gondor. They reach it, and it's over for those poor sods."_

 _"That's right. It's imperative that we capture Umbar. Controlling Umbar means controlling this region," Strider said._

 _"What of the Haradrim?" Solas wondered._

 _"They won't make it in time to help. They much prefer their deserts and jungles, anyways," Strider said._

 _"Are we to destroy the ships?" another man asked._

 _"Not if we can help it. But don't worry about the ships - Talion and I will be taking care of that. Remain in position here until we return," Strider said._

 _"Wait - are you two going to be enough?" Zentha asked, surprised._

 _"More than enough. Wait until we get back. Ready you two?" Strider asked._

 _"Aren't we always?" came the reply from both of them. The voice sent shivers down most of the group's spines, but Strider simply smiled._

 _-o-_

 _Their attack would require stealth and speed if they wanted to stick to the timetable. Strider and Talion slowly descended, their cloaks making them all but invisible to the Corsairs. Slowly, they entered the docks, and each boarded a ship, feet light, and quiet. Strider quickly hid behind a large pillar, noting that the shipwright was checking the bowsprit. He could sense no one else on board and immediately began his approach._

 _Strider's Domination took longer to perform that Talion's. His eyes and mouth blazed a soft blue as he pressed his hand to the head of the shipwright, who was unable to scream - as much as he wanted to. He merged the lesson's he had learned from Talion with what he had learned from the man in the forest; after all, a man wasn't too different from a beast. Close to fifteen seconds had passed when he finally made it through._

 _Instead of just overpowering them, he had to break their will - had to break what made the shipwright a shipwright, severing the ties that bonded him to his companions. Any loyalty to anyone but Strider was one loyalty to much; if he Strider wished it, the man should've been able to drown himself, keeping his head underwater and not coming up to breathe. He had to subdue him completely, entirely; no sense of freedom could remain. Those he branded would know or follow no other; they would endure any pain and follow every order._

 _"You will obey," Strider whispered, finally removing his hand. The shipwright just nodded. Strider gave him his orders - only to stand by for now - while he went around to the other ships, doing the same thing. In the same time Strider managed to subdue a few, Talion had cleared quadruple; his Domination was something else entirely._

 _Slowly, but surely, no one else remained. Strider and Talion had the shipwrights carefully lure others to them before Dominating them - until finally, they had a veritable army at the ready. Giving them their final orders, they returned to their companions._

 _-o-_

 _"What exactly did you two do?" Solas wondered._

 _"A little persuading," Strider said. "Alright, we're about to do this now. Is everyone ready? Does anybody want to back out? Speak now."_

 _"Would anybody back out at this point?" Varric wondered._

 _"…I hope not," Strider grumbled. He figured it was polite to ask._

 _"Talion, gather your forces and get into position," Strider said. Talion nodded, selecting some of the elves, men, and dwarves and going back down, closer to the water. Strider, meanwhile, led the other half down the hill - still under the dead of night._

 _"The watchtowers?" Strider wondered._

 _"Already taken care of. Next rotation won't be until noon," Zentha said._

 _"Excellent work, as well," Strider said._

 _"Thanks," she said with a smirk._

 _"Wait," Strider suddenly said._

 _'"hat is it?" Amarie asked._

 _"Archers," Strider said. The archers came forward, arrows locked and loaded._

 _"Those barrels over there are filled with oil. I'm going to get them in position, and I want you to light them the hell up," Strider said. He held his hand out in front of him as he started to move the barrels into strategic positions - near the barracks, near the armory, near the bar, and several near the fortress that lay a bit further away. He had to navigate them carefully, being sure not to alert much suspicion. He figured that plenty were already asleep; the few that noticed wouldn't be able to do much about it._

 _"Solas, could you light the arrows?" Strider asked._

 _"Certainly," Solas nodded, sparking a light on each arrowhead._

 _'This is the beginning of the end for them. All of them. Are you ready, Anglachel?' Strider thought._

 _'I am. I can taste it already. The blood you will spill today and the blood you intend to spell yet. Yes…you chose well, Númenórean. I shall let you guide me as long as you wish. Keep me sated, and I will see thy will done. Orcs. Uruks. Men. Elves. Dwarves. Dragons. Trolls. Giants. What lay here. What lay beyond. I will taste it all,' the sword whispered, almost seductive._

 _"Archers. Now," Strider said._

 _It happened in an instant. The archers let their fire arrows fly loose. Each was like a bird, wafting through the air until they finally found their marks. The entire world went silent for that tiny moment before the plunge. Hell was let loose as each barrel was set alight in perfect sync; the barracks burst into flames as burning bodies, not knowing what just happened, ran out into a hail of arrows. Those in the bar had it just as bad; the alcohol began to burst, spewing shards and fire everywhere; but the most spectacular explosion was the armory. Being home to a considerable amount of enemy supplies and rations, Strider had to be very careful about destroying it. His care was for naught, though; unknown to him, there was a quantity of black powder in the army. Unlike the buildings that simply burst into flames, the armory simply exploded - catching most everyone, even Strider, by surprise. The ensuing destruction was one for the records; it caused a severe shockwave that did a considerable amount of damage all its own, an unintended but welcome side-effect; the fireball could be seen from miles away. Strider soon felt the shockwave rush over him; it had knocked several of his companions down, all bewildered by what had happened._

 _"Amazing…" Amarie said, mouth slightly open._

 _"No kidding. That was intense," Varric mused._

 _"That's all you've got to say about it?" Solas wondered._

 _"Very intense? I dunno," the dwarf sighed._

 _The Black Númenóreans didn't know what hit them; many rushed outside into the killing field that awaited them. As soon as the brunt of the explosion cleared, Talion's squad leaped from their positions and into the city. The water quickly turned red as the Black Númenóreans were slain without any effort. They were in disarray; drunk or just woken, tired or on the verge of falling asleep. Strider had his archers fire more rounds, this time guiding the arrows to their targets. Each arrow struck its mark in the head as blood and bits of brain stuck to the arrow on the other side._

 _Strider soon joined the fray, cutting and slashing without mercy. He leaped into a circle that the enemy had formed, trying their best to repel the attackers. Anglachel severed the head from body without effort, like a hot knife through butter. Strider could hear the sword cheering inside his head; each drop of blood was a feast to it._

 _Just as much as Anglachel enjoyed it, Strider did as well. He felt his heart swell with happiness with each limb he chopped off, each life he ended. It was like a wonderful dream as blood and gore cascaded onto him. He quickly removed his cloak, giving him full and free movement. Both hands on his sword, he picked up the pace._

 _He grabbed one of the enemies by his hair and shoved the pommel into his throat several times until he heard a satisfying crack. He grabbed another by the arm and sliced it off before beginning to beat the man to death with it. One of the Númenóreans looked on in horror as he saw Strider continuously smash the arm over the man's head until he was satisfied. The man finally sprung to action, however, and leaped at Strider with his blade. Strider barely dodged it, admonishing himself for getting so caught up in the attack. He quickly shoved Anglachel through the man's heart before cutting his head off._

 _"Where are you going?" Strider roared at some who tried to escape. He wrapped his magic around them and threw them into the raging inferno of the armory. Strider relished their screams, delighted at their flesh burning off and their cries for mercy._

 _'No mercy for them! No mercy for anyone!' Anglachel shouted, echoing Strider's thinking._

 _Others looked on in horror as they suddenly saw the fire take shape. It twisted and contorted until they saw what it had become - a long and winding snake, it's flames licking the air like its tongue. Strider sent it forth with his powers; it wove and waved through Umbar, sparing Strider's allies and burning holes through the enemies._

 _It suddenly encroached on a particular Númenórean. It looked on in terror as the snake opened its jaws wide and swallowed the being whole. His flesh burned and sizzled, blackening until only a charred corpse remained, the face contorted into a look of horror._

 _-o-_

 _"One bastard, two bastards, three bastards, four!" Kenway sang, peppering a poor soul with several deep stabs. "Five bastards, six bastards, give me some more!"_

 _"You're in a good mood!" Varric shouted, shooting someone with his crossbow._

 _"Excitin' stuff! You don't seem to bothered yourself!" Kenway remarked._

 _"Ha, you kidding me? Seen worse back home!" Varric said._

 _-o-_

 _The bloodshed had continued until only one building was left in the entire city - the fortress, Windkeep. They all gathered in front of the fortress as Strider's broke its doors down._

 _"Slay them all," he said as he flourished his sword and strode inside. His companions followed, ready to continue. They had not had their fill yet. The bloodshed continued inside as limbs were hacked off, throats were sliced, heads were severed - and finally, the pyre of bodies began to burn right outside. Disappointingly to Strider, the fortress was hardly filled. It seemed to serve as a last defense but was otherwise all but abandoned. He counted less than a hundred guards in total._

 _Strider had let only three men live - one was the General of the Fleet of the Corsairs, one was the Master of Windkeep, and the third was the messenger who was resting in Windkeep before continuing. They looked on in fear as Strider eyed them with cold eyes._

 _"Where is Black Hand?" he asked the messenger who whimpered._

 _"Where is Black Hand?" he asked again, but still nothing._

 _"Do you value your life?" Strider asked. The messenger nodded._

 _"Then tell me - where is Black Hand?" he asked again._

 _"You'll never find out," the general said as he spat at Strider. Zentha aimed an arrow at his heart and let it loose. To her surprise, the arrow changed trajectory and lodged itself in the trachea. A geyser of blood erupted as the General gasped in pain and for a breath that would never come._

 _"Excessive, don't you think?" Varric asked._

 _"I do. But they need to know what will happen to them if they don't tell me what I want to know," Strider said looking at the two that remained, who were horrified at the scene. Finally, the general was limp and dead._

 _"He…He…" the messenger began._

 _"SHUT UP!" the Master of Windkeep roared. He was silenced by a punch from Strider, which put him out cold._

 _"He…Black Hand, I-I mean…he's gone to Barad-Dûr to speak with the lord," the messenger said, tears streaming down his face._

 _"About what?" Strider asked._

 _"I know not. I heard the master of this fortress discuss that with the general of the fleet. But not just Hand - I am told the other two Black Captains have moved as well. The Tower has gone to Angband, and The Hammer has moved to Fornost."_

 _"Fornost? Why there?" Strider asked._

 _"What is Fornost?" Solas asked._

 _"A fortress of men - an important one, at that. But left in ruin, now," Talion mused._

 _"I know not why he went there - simply that he has!" the messenger shouted._

 _"And what about Angband?" Strider asked._

 _"I…dare not utter the name of that place again," the messenger said fearfully. "I don't know why he would want to go there! But…Gundabad was taken by the dwarves again - so they will approach through the Iron Hills and past the dwarves."_

 _"Too close to Thranduil's realm if he takes the standard route. That'll add a lot of time to his travel," Strider said._

 _"So…Black Hand has gone to Mordor, Tower to Angband, and Hammer to an old fortress. And you don't know why any of them went where they did? Very well. Thank you," Strider said._

 _Suddenly, he put his hand to the messengers head. As he did with the shipwrights, Strider broke the messenger's will and subjugated him to his will._

 _"You'll continue in your service to me until your end. I require information. Learn what you can and bring it to me. I'll keep you appraised of where I am," Strider instructed as the messenger nodded. Finally, he got up and left - seemingly forgetting what just happened._

 _"Fornost and Angband…" Strider whispered._

 _"Which one do you plan to attend to first?" Talion wondered._

 _"Fornost. Then Angband," Strider said. He pretended not to notice the uncomfortable looks on several of the faces; none were eager to set foot in that place - or near it. Finally, Strider left the fortress to address the rest of his crew._

 _"The bravery you have shown today is more than I could ask for. We've taken this city in under a day - and it's all thanks to you! Umbar is ours - and with it, the gift of the sea and unbridled transport. We will continue a little further inland and seize the City of the Corsairs before doing anything else. After that, three fleets will be created - one will be sent to Gondor to provide aid; another to other areas that need aid; and a final one will be sent along the seaboard of this Middle Earth. We will not stop until the sea is free of the enemies control! If it requires that we bathe it in blood, then that is what we will do! I am thankful that in this small force, we have someone who can act as our General and Captain of the Fleet. Say hello to Captain Kenway!" Strider shouted. Kenway looked on in surprise; this was apparently news to him. "Kenway, it'll be up to you to find commanders for the fleets. After freeing the City, we will go to Fornost - and liberate what we may on our way! This is the hour in which we reclaim this world for dwarves, for elves, for men, and for all that is good!"_

 _As he stepped down, Kenway came up to him - still as surprised._

 _"Cap'n…" Kenway began._

 _"You're the captain now," Strider said, clapping him on the shoulder and leader him towards the dock. "Now, like you promised - show me what it's like to be on a ship!"_

-o-

As Strider woke up, he noted that Erza had moved a bit. He was laying on his back, and she had clambered on top of him, her head resting peacefully on his chest. He smiled and weaved a hand through her hair, chuckling as he saw her smack her lips in delight.

"Time to wake up, Erza," Strider said softly.

"A…few more minutes," she yawned, nuzzling him.

"If Natsu or Gray said that, you'd have their head," Strider laughed.

"Ugh…" she said, slowly getting up. As she realized what position she was in, though, she suddenly bolted upright, face red. "S-sorry about that!"

"I don't mind," Strider said, slowly getting up as well. "Nice nap, don't you think?"

"Very," Erza nodded as she calmed down. She took a seat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "Did you sleep well?"

"About as well as I could hope for," Strider sighed, preferring not to share his dreams.

"That's good. What're you going to do now?" Erza wondered.

"I had promised Mira to spend some time with her after the fiasco with the dragons ended. If she's done with her shopping, perhaps I'll go meet up with her," Strider said.

"Speaking of Mira…" Erza trailed off.

"Hmm?" Strider wondered.

"I was…well, have…you know…" she trailed off again.

"Ah. Have you?" Strider asked.

"I…suppose not," Erza said.

"Well…might as well hope for the best, I think," Strider said.

"And what's that?" Erza asked.

"I'll let you know as soon as I find out," he said, brushing some hair behind her ear. Erza smiled, softly taking his hand in hers and pressing it against her cheek.

"I never thought I'd feel like this…" she whispered.

"Hmm?" Strider hummed.

"Oh, it's nothing! Anyways, I've got to go as well! Later!" she shouted. A bit overzealous in her closing of the door, Erza ripped it off the hinges. Turning a bright red again, she quickly sped off, leaving a cackling Strider.

-o-

"Hey," Mira said, hugging Strider as they met each other in the lobby.

"Hey. Finished with Lucy, then?" he wondered.

"Yup. She just went upstairs to put her stuff away. Think she's going to go out with Lis soon," Mira said.

"Sounds good. Shall we?" he asked.

"Let's," Mira said happily, taking his arm in hers as she led him out.

-o-

"So what've you been up to all day?" she wondered.

"Just spent some time with Cana and took a little nap," Strider said.

"Seems…a bit too normal, actually," Mira said.

"Normal isn't that bad," Strider said with a laugh.

"I guess you're right. We've needed normal after everything that's happened," she sighed.

"Have you been feeling well? Kind of a traumatic experience," Strider said worriedly.

"I'm fine," Mira said, smiling. "Was scary when it was happening, but I think everyone's fine for the most part now. Wizards deal with danger on a daily basis, you know."

"No need to tell me. Dangerous jobs, dragons, dark guilds. Could've just stayed back home and reveled in the peace," Strider chuckled.

"Well, I'm happy you didn't," Mira said softly. Strider smiled and pulled her a bit closer, kissing her head.

"As am I, if I'm honest," he whispered.

"That said, are you excited to go back soon?" she wondered.

"I dunno if excited is the right word. I won't be going back to relax, you know. Will be entirely work focused, as far as I'm concerned. Need to keep tabs on how restoration is proceeding," Strider sighed.

"It must be difficult, trying to rebuild an entire country," Mira said.

"It's a good thing I've had some help. A couple of my friends introduced me to someone that had had a similar experience. Not quite a large scale war like we did, but he was caught up in the middle of some things and found himself in a position of power - one where he had to rebuild. He's been a wellspring of knowledge," Strider said.

"Is he from your homeland?" Mira wondered.

"Not quite. He's from a land east of my country. Interesting place, to be sure," Strider said.

"How so?" Mira wondered.

"It's similar to my own on a technological level - but despite being so close, some things are vastly different. The people, the dress, the languages, the magic, the land - everything. Communication only just started to open up a few years ago," Strider said.

"Why'd it take so long?" Mira wondered.

"The strip of sea between our countries has some severe and significant weather anomalies. I can only think of one ship that made the crossing, and even that took a toll. Easy if you can fly - difficult otherwise," Strider said.

"Have you spent much time there?" Mira wondered.

"A fair amount, I suppose. Getting to know the land and the people. Had some great tour guides, so that helped," Strider said.

"Any good stories?" she wondered.

"Ha. Plenty. I'll tell you later, though. Right now, it's all about you," Strider said. Mira flashed him a charming smile and continued to lead him along, showing him all the sights the city had to offer.

-o-

"You're pretty popular here," Strider said as Mira signed her umpteenth autograph. Men and women were constantly barraging them, hoping to get a smile at the very least.

"Comes with the territory, I guess," Mira sighed. As much as she enjoyed meeting new people, she was beginning to think that going out so early was a mistake. She wanted to spend some alone time with Strider. "Sorry about all this."

"I don't mind. I enjoy seeing you in your element," Strider said with a smile.

"My element?" she wondered.

"You seem at ease when you're out and with other people. Always smiling and upbeat, I mean," Strider said.

"I…guess I enjoy it," Mira said, blushing a bit. "Don't you?"

"I don't mind it. I suppose I prefer to be alone, though," Strider said.

"Does that mean you'd rather be away from me right now?" she wondered.

"Not at all. In private as supposed to alone, then," he rectified. Finally, as the crowd started to thin out, they continued their walk - a bit brisker in pace this time.

-o-

"Perhaps it might've been more useful for you to train today," Strider said as they headed out into the forest. They took a seat near the river, Mira resting her feet in it.

"I guess. Don't really want to think about the fight right now, though," she said, sighing pleasurably as the cool water rushed over her feet and legs.

"Oh? What do you want to think about, then?" Strider wondered.

"Mmm…not sure," Mira said. She laid down a bit, resting her head in his lap, gently tracing along his legs. "Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?" he wondered.

"Those seven years that you were away - did you ever regret coming here in the first place?" she asked softly. Strider leaned back a bit, thinking over the question.

"I never regretted coming here, but I did regret a lot of other things. Not being quicker against Acnologia, not using the environment a bit more, not coming back - despite all the chances. None of those seven years were easy, but the first couple were especially hard. I don't think I've ever worked that hard in my life," Strider sighed.

"There wasn't much else you could do against him," Mira reminded him.

"Maybe not, but that won't stop me from thinking that I could. A thousand things I could've done differently - and maybe one of them would've changed the outcome. Maybe I could've saved everyone those seven years," Strider said.

"But would you have gone back if you did?" she wondered.

"Probably not," Strider said.

"And then you wouldn't be doing the restoration, right?" she asked, picking herself up. She looked at Strider a surprisingly severe look in her eye.

"I—No, probably not. I wouldn't have found out about it," Strider said.

"And you're doing a good job with it, right?" she asked.

"I'd like to think I am," Strider said quietly.

"I know that you're a good guy. Strong and kind. And I think the people that you've been helping nee someone like that. I'm not saying that I'm happy about the whole thing. But…maybe it's not as bad as we all think it is," Mira said softly. Strider looked at her, a curious look in her eye.

"I think you might be taking to much of a gracious view on it," he finally said.

"Maybe," Mira said with a small smile. "But I guess that'd better than me being bitter about it, right?"

"That much is true," Strider said, brushing some hair behind her ear. "Like I said, I don't think I've ever felt as much happiness as I did when I heard from Cana that you all were back."

"Right. You went back to Fairy Hills with her," Mira sighed.

"Jealous?" Strider asked with a smirk.

"Please. I don't get jealous," Mira said.

"Really? I seem to re-," he began before Mira cut him off.

"You recall nothing," she said with a bright smile.

"Ha. Right. I recall nothing," he said with a chuckle.

As the wind rustled through the forest, Strider saw Mira shiver a bit. He pulled her closer and held her tight, eliciting a gentle blush and warm smile from her. Mira cuddled closer to him, resting her head against his chest.

"This is nice," she cooed.

"I'm glad you think so," Strider whispered. Look up a bit, Mira put her arms around his neck and pulled him down a bit. Strider obliged, softly locking lips with her. As they kissed, Mira felt him run a hand down the side of her body, resting on her left thigh. She felt him trace her white guild mark, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Mmm," Mira moaned as she felt him walk his fingers between her legs, inching slowly upward. She felt his tongue pass through into her mouth as he shifted positions, laying her on the ground and himself to the side. He gripped her thigh tightly as his hand continued upwards, finally reaching the lace panties she wore. Mira gasped into the kiss as she felt him trace her.

Before Strider could make his move, however, he suddenly felt a rush of dread pass over him. His eyes shot wide open as he felt Anglachel begin to rattle at his side - in a way it hadn't done for years.

 _'Be on guard! Something's coming!'_ it warned him telepathically. Strider leaped up, surprising Mira who followed.

"Strider? What is it?" she asked fearfully.

Before Strider could answer, however, the answer revealed itself.

It rushed out from a thicket of trees behind them, black as night and perched on eight legs; it's many eyes watching them as its pincers snapped the air in front. Mira and Strider both looked surprised by the spider, which stood at fifteen feet - larger than any other spider either had encountered.

"What the hell…" Mira said; she had hardly seen something so hideous as the spider.

The spider's many eyes fell on her before falling on Strider. It had made a terrifying clicking noise before it croaked out in a horrifying voice, "Ungoliant!"


	31. Legends

"That's…a huge spider," Mira said, gulping as it began to sidle around in front of them. It's menacing pincers kept on snapping at the empty air in front of it, it's many eyes concentrated on Mira and Strider.

Strider twirled Anglachel around in his hand, the words that the spider spoke deep on his mind - 'Ungoliant'.

 _'Impossible. Spawn of Ungoliant more likely. But…no, that's impossible. How does it know that name!?'_ Strider thought, gulping. He didn't anticipate hearing of something from the old legends in this new land.

 _'All spiders are descended from Her,'_ Anglachel whispered in Strider's mind. _'Spawn indeed - as are all those of her ilk.'_

 _'Enough! I do not need you speaking to me at every turn,'_ Strider shouted at his sword.

 _'You've used me freely for so long. You and I are entwined. But now is not the time,'_ Anglachel said before going silent. Strider sighed and turned his attention to the spider again. All the while, it had decided not to attack him or Mira; it simply kept hobbling around - although, to his surprise, it began looking at his sword as well.

"Mira, it might be best if you left," Strider said.

"Like hell I am! I still don't believe that you're feeling better. Besides, it's one spider. I can handle it," Mira said, shifting into her Satan Soul: Sitri.

"Just…be careful," Strider said.

"Hypocrite," she said with a smile before rushing the spider. As she shoved it, however, it still didn't react - in fact, it hardly even moved. Mira jumped back to Strider's side, frowning.

"It's got a strong hide," she said. "I'm surprised I didn't do anything to it."

Strider soon rushed forward as well, his sword outstretched. As he got close, the spider braced itself. Strider shifted slightly and grazed its side. To his surprise, however, he had hardly even drawn blood. The two stood on either side of the spider, curious as to how strong it was.

 _"Barely a scratch. Now that is surprising,"_ Strider whispered. He jutted forward yet again - but this time, the spider reacted. Lithe on its eight legs, it shoved two of them backward. They hit Strider straight in the chest and rocketed him through a few trees.

"STRIDER!" Mira shouted, surprised that he had taken damage. She barely dodged the spider rushing her, its pincers outstretched. Strider slowly got up, slightly dazed.

 _'Didn't expect that,'_ he thought, licking his lips. _'No holding back, then.'_

He rushed the spider yet again, slightly above the reach of its legs. As he landed on top of its massive body, he drove his sword into the hide of the spider. He felt his blade run deep through, but as he retracted it, he was hit by a spurt of purple blood. He flew off the spider, hearing its pained screeching. Struggling to get the blood that hit his eyes out, he was defenseless at the second rush. He felt the spider's pincers drill into his chest; again, Strider was sent hurtling into the trees.

 _'Bastard,'_ Strider thought as he stood back up, spitting out some blood. The spider stared at him as it had since the beginning of their bout. It seemed to be intelligent, Strider thought, more so than other beasts he had faced until now.

 _'Ungoliant,'_ he thought to himself again. _'That's a name from Middle Earth, though - but this is Fiore. It shouldn't know that name…it shouldn't.'_

 _'Enough thinking about that! Slay it, quickly!'_ Anglachel snapped at him. Scoffing, Strider nonetheless obeyed. He rocketed toward the spider yet again; but this time, the spider was prepared. As Strider flew at it, it jumped forward several meters. The attack caught Strider by surprise; next he knew, he was on his back, holding off the pincers of the spider. As he looked down its hairy underside, he saw something more terrifying; a single, sword-like stinger. The spider stabbed the ground with it several times before retracting it up again, seemingly ready to strike Strider. Strider quickly uprooted a tree and sent it flying at the spider, buffeting it back a bit more. As he got to his feet, he looked around in a panic for Mira. To his relief, she was still levitating above them.

Seeing her chance, Mira rushed the spider in a blink of in eye. Making sure to keep her distance from the stinger and pincers, she launched a powerful stream of fire at it. The spider screamed as the fire seared its hide. It quickly jumped and began rolling around in the river, dousing itself. As it lumbered back to its feet, it focused its many eyes on Mira, snapping at her.

 _'It's weak against fire, but it knows how to put it out. Intelligent indeed,'_ Strider thought as he took advantage of the distant and rushed in close yet again. Instead of aiming at the hide, however, he swung his blade at one of the spider's legs. It came off with ease. The spider screeched in pain as it stumbled a bit; but, still having seven more, it refined its balance easily - its eyes focused again on Strider.

Turning around, the spider suddenly shot out a thick wad of webbing at Strider. The webbing hit him head on and latched him onto a tree. It pressed its advantage, rushing Strider with its pincers outstretched. Strider got himself loose at the last second, cutting the webbing telekinetically with Anglachel, before leaping out of its way. The spider quickly adjusted its course, however, and thrust to the side, hitting him head on.

The thrust had a lot of power behind it; Strider was sent careening into a tree, the spider gazing down on him, menacing. With a scoff, Strider got to his feet.

 _'Enough playing around, Númenórean. End it. Now,'_ Anglachel told him. Rolling his neck, Strider's eyes and mouth erupted in a blaze of blue light. Caution in the wind, he rushed the spider head on. It reached its pincers and thrust them at him. Telekinetically holding Anglachel away, Strider attempted to grab on to the pincers. To his surprise, however, the telekinetic barrier he had always set up was pierced. He could feel every of the spider on him, his handing rubbing raw as the monster began bucking. Strider held on tightly, quickly coming back to his sense. As the spider raised him up, Strider readjusted himself and smashed his boot into one of its eyes. The spider screeched in pain as blood seemed down, blinding some of its other eyes.

Strider quickly drove Anglachel into its eyes using his telekinesis. As he looked at Mira, she understood and joined. Coalescing her fire into a thin stream, she levitated by its side and focused exclusively on its eyes. One by one, each of its eyes soon died out, devoid entirely of sight. As Strider got back on the ground, he saw the spider suddenly begin to flail around. It began to go wild, bucking here and there, stabbing its pincer on the ground and snapping at nothing.

Strider wasted no time pressing his advantage yet again. He quickly sliced off three more of its legs in separate positions. The few that remained weren't enough to sustain its massive body. The spider collapsed on one side and rolled on its back, its legs curled up in the air as though it was dead. Still, it continued to snap at the air with its pincers. Strider quickly worked his way down the head of the spider, stabbing it in various points. He drilled his sword as deep as it would go, only satisfied when he heard a squelch or crunch, sure that he had hit something important.

"Mira. Fire," Strider said, pointing at the holes he created.

"That seems…like a bit much," she said uncomfortably. While she remembered how he had dealt with the dragons, this seemed much more intimate - it was two on one, and the beast was at their feet, blood and gore seeping out of the new man-made holes. It pincers had slowed down, and it seemed to be holding onto the last thread of its life.

"We need to be sure," Strider said. Mira looked at him long and hard before she nodded. She sent a few bursts of fire into the holes - and suddenly, it screamed out in pain again. The spider writhed in agony, twisting as much as it could as the flames burned it from the inside. It was a minute before it had stopped screaming, its body slowly grinding to a halt. It kept twitching as Strider circled it, like a predator stalking its prey.

As he moved closer to its stinger, however, he regretted it. Strider felt a terrifying pain erupt in his shoulder, where he had been stabbed by a cursed blade long ago. The last thing he heard before passing out was Mira scream his name; and the last thing he saw was an eruption of fire that suddenly ensnared the spider whole.

-o-

 _"What is it now, old man?" Strider sighed, taking a seat. He looked much younger. There was no stubble on his face, although his hair still reached his shoulders. He wore a black shirt and pants, a sword, bow, and quiver on his back. The old man sighed as he came in._

 _"Who was it this time?"_

 _"Who was who this time?" Strider wondered innocuously._

 _"Like you don't know," the old man said with a laugh. "Anyways, that's not important. Time for your lesson."_

 _"What are doing today?! Did you see what I can do with the waterfall now?!" Strider asked excitedly._

 _"Close. We're going to be working on something far more important than your telekinesis will ever be," the old man said, flipping through a massive book he had in front of him._

 _"What?" Strider asked, thinking the variety of answers over in his head._

 _'Is he going to teach me more Magic? Maybe Fire or Water Magic. Or how to speak with animals. Or—' Strider kept thinking._

 _"Nothing as useless as Fire or Water Magic. Besides, after all your focus on telekinesis, learning much of any other kind of Magic will be difficult," the old man said._

 _"Whys that? Isn't it still the same base knowledge?" Strider asked._

 _"What you need for Elemental Magic is far different from Telekinesis, which is far different from any other kind of Magic. Telekinesis is the basis for all types of Magic, yes, so logically you would learn to use others. However, do you know what sets it apart from Elemental or other kinds of Magic?"_

 _Strider thought on the question before it hit him. He let out a heavy sigh, his head hanging dejectedly._

 _"The element has to be produced," he whispered._

 _"Correct," the old man said. "And to produce it, you must be born with it. At the very least, Strider, it's something that I cannot teach you. Perhaps if you see enough of the world, you may learn something that you cannot learn here. But for that, you need something that you lack even now. And that brings us back around to today's lesson."_

 _"If it's not learning more Magic, are you going to teach me how to fight better? Or how to use my Te—" Strider began before he was cut off._

 _"Calm down, child! Again, no - not Magic. You have plenty of power when it comes to that, and I imagine you'll only grow more powerful. But to put it to use wisely what you require more than anything is knowledge and perspective," the old man said, turning to face him at last. His magnificently long, white beard twinkled in the sunlight as his he looked at Strider's quizzical face with keen eyes._

 _"Knowledge and perspective?" Strider asked, frowning._

 _"Indeed. Knowledge is the most important thing in this world. For example, when you first came here, you couldn't use telekinesis," the old man said. "But with knowledge, you learned how to use it, did you not?"_

 _"I suppose," Strider nodded along. He had never given that aspect of it much thought; he could use it so well now, it almost seemed to be second nature to him._

 _"It's true. Very true. Certainly, training is an important aspect, but training without knowledge is like shooting an arrow without having a target - aimless and useless, a waste of resources. With knowledge, however, the target comes into view, and you can shoot it - and over time, hit it consistently and perfectly. Which is why our next lesson will be a long one - to imbue you with the knowledge of the world," the old man said._

 _"Alright, then. So…what first?" Strider asked._

 _"That's the question, isn't it? History, my boy. History is where we begin - the First Age and onward," the old man said._

 _"Oh, fuck…" Strider said, rubbing his face diligently._

 _"I had a feeling you would react like that, so we're going to start in a far more interesting place as it relates to history," the old man said._

 _"And where might that be?" Strider wondered._

 _"Legend," the old man said with a smile._

 _"Legend?" Strider wondered, his interest piqued._

 _"The First Age is notable for its many great warriors and the beasts that they had to fight. Many of that spawn live to this day, as you might know. The giant spiders, dragons, balrogs. The list goes on. But was that beginning for them? Or simply when the people of the age found out? It's wholly possible that they existed before - when the world was younger, and the lands were closer. And then, of course, are those beasts that existed since time immemorial - where even the oldest cannot say where they come from," the old man said._

 _"Like what?" Strider wondered._

 _"Ungoliant, for one," the old man said._

 _"Ungoliant? What's that?" Strider asked._

 _"A primordial evil, taking the shape of a spider. The legends are scarce when it comes to her. Darkness incarnate, in some stories; here since time immemorial, an eternal enemy of the light. No one knows whence she came into being, only that she was there when being became. That which know is that she was evil to her core, allying herself with the Enemy. But when he was defeated, she escaped to Hyamentir, in Valinor. She made her home in the darkness, devouring all the light that touched near her - that which she hated, she needed. She wove her Unlight throughout the land - draining the light and leaving naught but darkness behind. After his defeat, Melkor sought her out and convinced her to attack the Two Trees. After much prodding, she agreed. The beast drained the Trees of their sap, poisoned them heretofore, and drained the Wells of Varda. However, Melkor had not intended for her to grow so powerful - and powerful did she grow. In size, scope, and strength - so hideous, even he began to fear her," the old man said._

 _"If she was so powerful, how come she's not around still? Plenty of dragons made it through the First and Second Ages," Strider said, listening intently._

 _"I was getting to that. Before he set her upon the Two Trees, he had to convince her. He bribed her - he would keep her sated eternally, letting her devour all the light that she saw. As Melkor, now Morgoth, attempted to escape Angband, she followed. She knew that he was weakened and would be unable to fulfill his promise. She devoured the light of some of the gems that he had stolen and demanded that he give over the great gems that were left in his possession - the Silmarils. When he refused, she struck. Morgoth cried out in pain and the Balrogs that remained in Angband woke and leaped to his defense. They tore apart her webbing and laid siege to her. She fled; the Balrogs would've given chase, but Morgoth stopped them. Perhaps it was to rebuild himself; more likely it was because she would've destroyed them. This was a monster that could strike fear into the heart of an enemy so great and powerful, hardly anything comparable has been seen," the old man said._

 _"Is she still alive?" Strider wondered._

 _"Who can say? The rumors are she died. Escaped to Nan Dungortheb where she bred the Great Spiders that haunt and roam the lands today. It's said in the end, so hungry, she devoured herself. But others say that Eärendil slew her when he came across her during his journey. In the end, it's anyone's guess. Indeed she has not been seen or heard of since the First Age," the old man said._

 _"Maybe if she had been a bit quicker, she could've slain Morgoth," Strider said._

 _"Perhaps. Perhaps not. His was a great power indeed. They saw when she attacked him, his scream was so powerful, the echoes could be heard long after. Lammoth, they called it - the land of the Great Echo. If one shouted, Morgoth would shout back at them. It was after this attack and his rescue by the Balrogs that he raised the mountains of Thangorodrim and rebuilt Angband," the old man said._

 _"What if she is still alive? Can anyone today defeat her?" Strider wondered._

 _"I suppose if she's still alive and you encounter her and live to tell the tale, you could let me know," the old man said with a chuckle. Strider simply smiled; he wondered how he would stack up against the beast?_

 _"What about the Great Spiders? They still live now, don't they?" Strider asked._

 _"They do. The Great Spiders - oversized and intelligent beings. They can commune with each other, but in a tongue that's hardly known to others. They hate the light, but couldn't live without it; they thirst for it and wish to devour it. There are the Giant Spiders made their homes in the Mirkwood. Then the Umaiar Spiders - like Ungoliant in their strength. The ones we know the least of; their fate is unknown. And finally, the Spawn of Ungoliant. She mated with and devoured the mortal spiders, producing this hellspawn. Nigh-immortal, larger, more powerful, and far more intelligent than the others. Beasts unto their own," the old man said._

 _"How far do you think they've spread?" Strider wondered._

 _"Far by now," the old man said thoughtfully. "Perhaps her Spawn has even crossed the sea to the east and south by now - they've certainly had the time to do so."_

 _"And how would one go about destroying a beast like that? Maybe I ca-," Strider began before begin cut off._

 _"You need to grow much stronger to handle something like that, my boy. Wiser. More attentive. Spiders are quick and devious creatures; one is not dead until it is completely dead," the old man said._

 _"I'll be sure to keep that in mind, old man," Strider said with a small smile. "What's next? Or can I go?"_

 _"Tell me - what do you know of Balrogs?"_

 _"They were corrupted by Maiar that were corrupted by Morgoth," Strider said, knowing the basics. "Demons of smoke and fire and part of his army."_

 _"And so much more. With an army of drakes, balrogs, and orcs, Morgoth assailed Gondolin after Maeglin, son of Eöl, betrayed the city. And at the fall of Gondolin was the greatest Balrog to ever live - Gothmog," the old man said, leaning back with a twinkle in his eye. Strider looked at his mentor curiously; whenever he was talking about the battles of old, during the First Age, there was a gleam in his eye - as they he wished to be there, looking at it all unfold._

 _"Gothmog?" Strider asked quietly._

 _"The High Captain of Angband. His rank and power were equal to Sauron at that point in time. He wore armor that sent fear through those that he fought. Under it, all that was visible were two red dots - his eyes as they trained in on you," the old man said, leaning forward. "He carried his whip and battle-ax into battle, striking fear in those that fought him. He strength was such that he was given the title Lord of the Balrog."_

 _"It was during Dagor-nuin-Giliath - the Battle-under-stars - that Fëanor, the High King of the Ñoldor, went to Angband with a small company of Elves. The Balrogs set upon them, slaying his company; but Fëanor fought valiantly. Towards the end of the fight, however, Gothmog appeared. He inflicted a mortal wound on the elf, which killed him. He killed another notable elf later - Fingon. And likely so many more in the time in-between, before, and after," the old man said._

 _"But he died as well, I'm guessing?" Strider wondered._

 _"During the Fall of Gondolin, yes. He fought Ecthelion, one of the great heroes of the First Age. His sword knocked out of his hand, Ecthelion ran at the Balrog and plunged them both into the Fountain of the King. The waters quickly put out the fires of the Balrog; but they also drowned Ecthelion," the old man said._

 _"So Gothmog's dead?" Strider asked._

 _"He is…as are most of the Balrogs. Few remain; most of them have burrowed into the deepest parts of the world. They await the return of their creator," the old man said quietly._

 _"Morgoth was destroyed, though," Strider said._

 _"His physical body, yes. But his spirit? It is alive and well. Unable to do much, certainly; but do not be fooled, Strider. Evil remains," the old man said._

 _"You seem fascinated by it all, old man," Strider said._

 _"Meaning?"_

 _"Just an observation," Strider said. "The old legends and tales and whatever, all these books. I've never asked, but who exactly are you?"_

 _"Who am I? Just an old man, living out the end of his days in peace," the old man said with a smile._

 _"An old man that knows about Magic that no one else knows about. An old man living in an idyllic place that barely seems affected by what's going on outside," Strider said._

 _"Indeed, indeed. Luck be a fickle lady, my boy," the old man said with a smile._

 _"Fine, fine. Be coy," Strider sighed. "Now, is that all? Or is there another legend you want to regale me with? Maybe we can bore Sauron to death."_

 _"That's it for now. The rest I'll let you study on your own. Here - read this book within a week. I expect a remark on everything in it within two weeks. Off you go," the old man said, telekinetically flicking the book at Strider. Strider caught it, almost tumbling. The book was massive and thick; with a sigh, he headed out._

 _As the old man watched him go, he frowned. Stretching his hand out, he clenched it multiple times. With a final look outside, he quickly shut the curtains of his house._

-o-

As Strider woke, he felt a sharp and terrible pain in his left shoulder and arm. He let out an anguished shout and ripped off the cloth around it. He grimaced as he saw the black blood that had soiled the cloth as well as the black mark on his shoulder. He touched it and immediately regretted it; another shot of pain went through his body, enough to force him to lay back down.

He had a hazy recollection of what had happened. He and Mira had fought the spider. Mira had set it on fire and as he walked around the rear, the spider had quickly plunged the stinger into his shoulder, narrowly missing any vitals. Looked behind, Strider saw the true extent of the damage; the wound was a through-and-through. Even as he tried, he was barely able to move his arm - any attempt was marred with a mind shattering eruption of pain.

Strider attempted to move his fingers and was relived to see he could still control them, despite his limited movement.

 _'The old man was right. Not dead until it's completely dead. Can't believe I missed that,'_ Strider thought to himself angrily.

Looking to his right side, he saw that Anglachel was resting neatly on the bed with him. He grasped the sword tightly.

 _'What a fool you are,'_ the sword whispered in his mind. _'Do not be so callow next time. I cannot be wielded by the others in your guild. You command me; I command you.'_

 _'Damn blade,'_ Strider thought.

 _'You do not wish to return me until your task is done, and I do not wish to return until my thirst is slaked,'_ the sword retorted. Strider sighed; he had no rebuttal to that.

Soon, the door quietly opened. Mira walked in, a look of worry on her face. As she saw that he was awake, she quickly rushed to his side.

"Strider! Are you okay?!" Mira demanded, being sure not to move him to much. She knew that the black wound ached and hurt him and she didn't want o cause him more pain than necessary.

"Hey, Mira," Strider said, managing a smile. "I'm fine. Just…ow, ow. Just…a little pain. Nothing I can't deal with, though," Strider said, slowly sitting back up.

"Can you move your arm?" Mira asked nervously.

"A bit," Strider said, turning it ever so slightly. He did his best to ignore the sharp eruption of pain that just jutted through.

"Hold on, I'm going to get Mrs. Porlyusica here. She'll put it in a sling," Mira said, rushing back out to get their resident doctor.

As Porlyusica and Mira walked in, they were accompanied by Erza, Bisca, Cana, Lucy, and Juvia - all of whom stared at him with worry in their eyes.

"Hey, ladies. I'm fine, reall—OH GOD!" Strider shouted as Porlyusica roughly moved his left arm into position.

"Someone whose fine doesn't find religion at the instance of a little pain," Porlyusica mused. She maneuvered some liquid to his lips; Strider took a deep draught and felt the pain lessen slightly. He looked at Porlyusica in surprise; thus far, he hadn't tried anything that had helped reduce the pain this much.

"W-What was that?" Strider asked quietly.

"Something I recently designed after getting a feel for that wound you have. Can't do anything about it but I can whip something up to help with the pain. Now keep quiet while I put this one," she said, tightly wrapping his arm in a sling.

"Uh…shouldn't you be a bit more gentle, Mrs. Porlyu—" Lucy began before she was cut off with a strict look from the doctor.

"You should be fine by tomorrow. The makeup of your shoulder and arm underneath the wound is completely different from a regular person. Almost vacuous; the stinger just went through you. Besides the pain, you'll be alright," Porlyusica said, taking her leave. Strider sighed and slowly stood up, taking a moment to get his bearings.

"You really need to stop getting into these kinds of situations," Mira said, giving him a tight hug. Strider returned the embrace, sighing but agreeing. There was soon another knock on the door.

"Feeling better, then?" Master Makarov asked as he entered, General Arcadios at his side.

"I am, Master. General, what're you doing here?" Strider asked, surprised.

"I had heard about the attack through the grapevine. When I learned what it might've been, I rushed over as soon as I could. As Ms. Strauss informed me, it was a spider that attacked you, was it not?" Arcadios asked.

"It was. Why?" Strider wondered.

"The Kingdom has had reports recently about large webs being spun in the forest. We investigated and found the webs, but not much else. About a month ago, however, we started hearing about people going to the forest and not coming back out. Again, we investigate but didn't find much besides webs. But to hear that you played a spider - a giant spider, at that; I would like to investigate once more and see if we might be able to find out what really happened," the General said.

"Sure. Let's—" Strider began before he was cut off.

"You can't go right now! You're still healing!" Lucy shouted, her voice shrill.

"Indeed. You ought to get some rest. We can wait a—" General Arcadios began before Strider shook his head.

"No, no. I need to get out, General. Can't stay cooped up for to long. I promise I won't do anything stupid," Strider said, looking at the girls.

"I intend to ensure that," Erza said flatly.

"As do I," Mira agreed.

-o-

"Do we really need this many people?" Strider wondered as they waited in the forest. Several guilds had joined them, creating a party as big as the one that fought against the dragons.

"I'd rather not take chances if I don't—PRINCESS! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Arcadios yelled exasperatedly as Hisui approached them, a look of worry on her face.

"Strider! Are you alright?" Hisui asked frantically, raising some eyebrows.

"I'm fine, My Lady. Although I think it's best if you—" Strider began before she cut him off.

"I can't do that, especially if citizens of the city might be hurt or in peril. My father and I intend to see this through with you," she said. The King appeared behind her, a saddened look on his face.

"It hasn't been long since these attacks started. At first, we didn't think much of them; plenty of beasts roam free in the wild, but they've never posed a problem to the people of my city. Even when I heard of the webs, it didn't bother me too much. But when I found out that my people began to go missing, it stirred a worry in my heart. If there's more of these kinds of creatures, then we need to be ready to deal with them immediately. Hisui and I will stay close by," the King said.

"Men! Surround the king and the princess! Ensure their safety by all means!" Arcadios barked.

"Strider…do you think there's more of them?" Hisui asked nervously.

"Difficult to say, Princess. I haven't seen the webs so I can't be sure if it's one, ten, or a hundred. That said, it was a big one so it's certainly possible it was solely responsible. That said, it's best to make sure that it really was the only one," Strider said.

"Mirajane mentioned that the spider said something when it attacked. Do you remember?" Erza asked.

"Hmm? Not really. What did it say?" Strider said.

"Ungoliant. I've no idea what that means, though," Mira said, frowning.

"Ungoliant…" Strider whispered.

"Alright! Everyone's here. We're going to split into teams and head out. Keep a watchful eye out for any spiders or webbing you might see. Remember, they're weak against fire!" Arcadios yelled.

-o-

"Think we'll find some more?" Natsu wondered as he led the team around the forest. They had so far encountered nothing, not even a small piece of webbing.

"It's possible, although I certainly hope not," Strider said, rolling his neck. The aching in his arm was still diligent.

"I really don't like spiders," Lucy shuddered, holding Strider's cloak tightly.

"I don't think anyone does," Strider said with a slight chuckle.

"I think I see an opening up ahead," Wendy suddenly said, peering through a clearing. As they passed to the other side of it, they were greeted by a cavernous opening.

"Spiders prefer the dark," Strider said mindlessly, quickly heading in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, he was hit with an overwhelming smell - one he knew well.

"Natsu. Send up a flare," he whispered.

"What is it?" Natsu asked.

"Just do it. Everyone needs to get here - quickly," Strider said. Natsu quickly did as he asked.

"Shouldn't we go in?" Wendy asked.

"Not yet, Wendy. Let's wait for everyone to get here…just in case," Strider said, resting a hand on her head. If his hunch was correct, he didn't want the little girl to see more than she had to.

It was another fifteen minutes before the other guilds caught up with them.

"What is it?" Arcadios inquired. As soon as he crossed the threshold, however, he understood.

"Princess, you stay out here, just in case," Arcadios said.

"Bu—" she began to argue but was cut off by her father who seemingly understood.

"Please, Hisui. Just in case," Toma said.

"…Very well, father," she sighed.

"Wendy, Shelia, you two should stay out here as well. We don't want our healers getting up incase there's something in there," Strider said.

"Bu—" Wendy began before Makarov overruled her.

"I think he's right, Wendy. Romeo, Lisanna, you two as well," the wise master said. By now, he had smelled it as well. Leaving some of the guild members outside just in case, Fairy Tail, Mermaid Heel, and Lamia Scale headed inside.

As they pressed further inside, the pungent smell only intensified. It was at the point that several people had to stop and take a moment, trying to keep their bearings that.

"What the hell is that?" Sting asked, coughing.

"We'll find out soon enough," Strider whispered as he crested a small hill inside the cavern. As he reached the other side, he blanched, his suspicions confirmed.

The reaction was near unanimous - shock, horror, disgust. Several of the wizards had to turn away, rubbing their eyes in an attempt to forget.

It was the spider's den, they were sure - and its feeding ground. They could make out the several half-eaten corpses lying around, some hanging from the ceiling, cocooned in the silky white webbing. Carrion birds made their way inside, picking apart the remains to the best they could. Flies and other insects made their homes within the rotting entrails, lazing around in the crusted blood that seemed out. Looks of horror and anguish were enshrined in the few faces that remained whole.

"Oh my God…" Mira whispered, her eyes wide at the carnage.

"This…this is…" the king said, gulping.

He knew about the necropolis that lay underneath the city - residence to many deceased figures from times long past. Never had he stepped foot in it, however; and never had he condemned anyone to live their life out there. But neither did he ever take the time to look at what had been wrought - on the innocent or the guilty. But as he looked at the rotting carcasses of the men and women he represented, he felt a tremendous and overwhelming sense of guilt and responsibility.

The king was the first to descend down the hill, Arcadios and Strider at his side. The two men looked at each other, sighing at their inability to help the poor souls that remained.

"The spider's lair," Strider finally said, breaking the silence. Slowly, but carefully, the others began to follow the three down. Several wizards chased the birds out of the lair.

"Damn scavengers," Sting snarled.

"It's not their fault, Sting," Rogue whispered.

"We need to get these people down! They might still be alive!" Lucy said frantically.

"I don't think so," Toma said gravely.

"But…if they…" Lucy trailed off, shuddering.

Strider quickly used his telekinesis to rip the hanging figures from the ceiling, resting them gently on the ground. He, Arcadios, Erza, and Kagura quickly got to work in cutting the cocoons open, being careful to not hit any flesh. As they popped open, they were hit by another disgusting smell. Strider grimaced as he saw what had happened.

"That smells like…" Mira began, covering her nose.

"They were still alive when this happened. It looks like they were paralyzed by the spider," Strider said, noting the puncture marks on each of the people. He looked at his own wound, thankful now for the black mark…if what Porlyusica said was true, it appeared as though that might've saved him.

"They were still alive when it wrapped them up?" Cana asked, shuddering violently.

"Yeah. Their biological functions were still active, at least. But it's not like the waste could go anywhere, especially considering how tight they were wrapped. _Pissed and shat themselves for days_ ," Strider said, whispering the last part to himself.

"What're you looking for?" Arcadios asked as Strider began to move around the cave.

"To see if it might've laid any eggs, General," Strider said. It wasn't long until he hit the jackpot. "Ah. There we go."

The others quickly rushed over. They behalf hundreds of eggs, larger than normal for a spiders spawn. To Strider's immense relief, none of them were squirming, none even seemed to have hatched yet.

"We ought to destroy them, Your Majesty," Strider said.

"I agree, Your Highness. These beasts cannot be allowed to hatch!" Arcadios agreed.

"Do it," the king said breathlessly. Several of the king's men came forward, about to strike with their spears, but were stopped by Strider.

"Perhaps it'll be easier and less gory if we just crush them, Your Majesty. Jura?" Strider asked, looking at the Wizard Saint. Jura nodded, as did the king. With a quick jab from his Iron Rock Wall, he crushed all the eggs in one fell swoop. He decided to leave the rocky wall in its position; no one was keen on seeing the result.

Strider went back to examine the bodies, a sad look in his eyes. No doubt that the process was painful. He could see places where the webbing was slightly stretched, indicating that the people inside had tried their best to get out. He wondered how long the paralyzing agent was active for - and hoped that the pain was as minimal as possible. He knelt down one particular corpse - a young woman with blonde hair that was drenched in grime and webbing. Her lips were parted, her eyes wide open in unseeing terror. He closed them for her, sighing deeply.

 _'All this happened while I was here,'_ he thought to himself. If he had heard the rumors, perhaps he could've helped them.

 _"Hiro hyn hîdh ab 'wanath,"_ Strider whispered before getting back up.

"Men - let's do one more round to make sure that's the last of them. I want you to search very nook and cranny of this place!" Arcadios barked. His men obeyed immediately and set about looking for any more eggs or signs of spiders in the cavern.

"Are you alright?" Mira whispered as she moved to Strider's side.

"Hmm? Yeah. I'm fight. Are you okay, though? Not an easy sight to see," Strider said.

"I'm fine," she said soothingly. "Let's get out of here. I don't think there's much more that we can do, and it seems like there's no other spiders."

"Right. Let's go," Strider said.

-o-

 _"I don't know how you can stand these things, Lord Thranduil," Strider said in disgust as he looked at the carcass of a spider in front of him. It was an easy kill, he though; a slight bit of his telekinesis had broken its limbs without effort. All that was required was a quick jab._

 _"It's certainly an infestation," Lord Thranduil said, sighing as he cleaned his sword. "The spiders have called this place their home for ages. I image that they will eventually die out, however. This isn't the Spawn of Ungoliant - simply Giant Spiders. At the very least, they consider orcs, uruks, and goblin their enemies. They make no differentiation between who they attack."_

 _"Do you think there's an easier way to get rid of them, though?" Strider wondered._

 _"Perhaps after Sauron is gone from the world," Thranduil mused. "His refuge in Dol Guldur is what called them here in the first place. Though he has abandoned it, his Shadow looms over Middle Earth. When the Shadow is gone, so will go the evil that depends upon it."_

 _"We've killed the others, My Lord," Zentha said as she slid down a tree and landed deftly on her feet, smiling at Strider and Thranduil._

 _"Excellent. Head back home then, Zentha. Strider and I shall be along shortly," Thranduil said._

 _"As you wish, My Lord. Strider," Zentha said._

 _"My lady," Strider said graciously._

 _"How has my son been, if I might ask?" Thranduil asked._

 _"Excellent, My Lord. I'm not sure if any of your other archers compare to him," Strider said with a grin. "With a bow and arrow or a sword or his daggers, he's the best of the best."_

 _"And the dwarf?" Thranduil wondered._

 _"They might not know it yet, but they've definitely struck up a friendship. Every fight is them comparing their kills," Strider laughed._

 _"It will be an eye-opening experience for both, then," Thranduil mused. "The two men?"_

 _"Aragorn is…Aragorn. As always, sir," Strider said._

 _"He will make a wise king," Thranduil mused._

 _"So long as Denethor doesn't deny him his birthright," Strider said._

 _"Authority is not given to him to deny the return of the king," Thranduil said, looking to the sky. "And so the White Tree will bloom once again."_

 _"I hope so, sir," Strider said softly. "Boromir…I don't know. I'm not sure what's going on in his mind. His father is the Steward and he wasn't as receptive."_

 _"No, I imagine he wasn't," Thranduil sighed. "Men are proud."_

 _"Pride goeth before destruction," Strider mused._

 _"Indeed. Which is why one must remain cognizant to not let it overcome their sensibilities," Thranduil said. "Come. I've a gift for you before you go."_

-o-

"Training? So soon?" Strider asked, slightly surprised.

"I think everyone wants to get their mind off of what happened today," Mira said softly as they got back to the hotel. Most everyone went to their rooms to quickly ready themselves for the fight that was coming up soon.

"I guess I can understand it from that perspective," Strider said. He moved his left arm around a bit. Still pained, he had regained a bit more feeling at least.

"I think it's best if you just get some rest, though," Mira said nervously.

"No way. I need to be doing something," he said, rolling his neck. "Don't worry. I won't push myself too hard."

"Good. Come see me when you can, though. I'll be with Lis and Elf," she said, quickly kissing him on the cheek before heading to her room.

As he took a seat, Master Mavis came up to his side, as glum as the others.

"How're you faring, Master Mavis?" Strider asked.

"Similar to the others," she sighed. "It is a difficult sight for anyone to see. I've hardly ever seen something like that. But I wanted to talk to you about something else. Will you escort me outside?"

"Certainly," Strider said. The two left, heading towards the outskirts of the city. As they began walked on the path out into the forest again, Mavis spoke.

"Mira mentioned something about what the spider had said. Ungoliant," Mavis said.

"Right," Strider nodded.

"It only occurred to me a little while ago that I remembered a legend about a creature named Ungoliant," Mavis said.

Strider nearly tripped as Mavis said that. Eyes wide, he stared at the back of her head.

 _'Impossible,'_ he thought, shocked.

"What do you mean, Master?" Strider finally said, his voice hardly above a whisper.

"It's not a very well known legend, I admit - barely a footnote in the Legends of Ishgar. But it was a story about a giant spider that's been alive since time began. The book mentioned that the spider could eat light and that it lived in darkness - and that it wanted to keep eating light until none remained. It also mentioned that all spiders came from this Ungoliant," Mavis said, shuddering slightly.

"I see," Strider said. "That's…something."

"There was something else that the book mentioned, however," Mavis said.

"Oh? What might that be?" Strider wondered.

"That Ungoliant came from the Northern Continent," Mavis said, stopping and turning to face him. Strider looked down at the diminutive First Master, a searching look in his eye.

"Do you know anything about what it means, Strider?" Mavis asked.

"I know the name," Strider finally said, beginning to walk again. "The parallels between the legend, as I heard it, and what you told me are strikingly similar. But, to the best of my recollection, no one has made the journey here besides myself. I can't begin to explain how a legend from my homeland would find its way here, Master."

"Nor do I," Mavis said, frowning. "Perhaps you might want to do a bit more research on that when you go home again. If your legends have made it this far, it stands to reason that other people have as well. Please do your best in finding out. I won't press you for more just yet."

"Thank you, Master. I will," Strider said.

"Strider," Mavis said, suddenly stopping again.

"Yes, First Master?" Strider wondered.

"Ungoliant, the First Spider…is it still alive?" Mavis asked softly. Strider paused and looked around, thinking about the question yet again.

"Perhaps. Legends don't die easily," he said, turning around and heading deeper into the forest yet again.


	32. Training

As Strider returned from his walk, he saw that most of the guild was already assembled in the lobby of the hotel. They were breaking into teams and would be meeting up with the other Guilds to begin their training. The eve of the tournament was upon them, and everyone wanted to be ready for the fight that would determine the Champion of Fiore.

"STRIDER!" Natsu roared as he saw his friend. "YOU WANT TO TRAIN WITH ME?!"

"NO WAY! HE'S TRAINING WITH ME!" Gray yelled at Natsu.

"Like hell! I called him!" Gajeel shouted.

"WHAT? WHEN?! Screw that! If he's training with anyone, it's me!" Nab yelled, throwing his name into the mix.

"No way! He's gonna be training with us!" Jet and Droy shouted. It wasn't long until the entire guild joined in, trying to lay claim to Strider. Strider only laughed along as he moved a bit to the side, enjoying the scene.

"Someone's popular," Bisca said, moving to join him. Asuka laughed as she tried to grab at Strider's cloak. He leaned in a bit, letting her nuzzle against it.

"No kidding. Careful who you choose. Don't wanna piss anyone off," Mira giggled as she joined them.

"Hi, Strider!" Wendy said brightly as she walked up to them.

"Hey, Wendy. What's up?" Strider asked, smiling.

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind training with me for a little while?" she asked.

"Awww," Mira squealed happily as Wendy blushed a bit. She wasn't sure what the big deal was.

"Sure, Wendy. I'd be happy to," Strider nodded. Wendy returned his smile with a bright one of her own before standing by him, observing the continuous ruckus.

"How long do you think they'll go on for?" Carla asked as she levitated up to his head.

"Knowing them? They'll probably forget the competition," Strider said with a chuckle.

"I'm not sure if you guys have noticed, but Strider's already agreed to train with Wendy for a little while," Mira yelled over the brawl. Everyone immediately went quiet and stared at the bluenette, who was tomato-red by now.

"No fair," Lucy grumbled.

"Don't worry. The day is still young. I'll be sure to get to everyone," Strider said.

"Well, looks like we know who'd win if this were a battle of common sense," Mira sighed as Strider laughed.

-o-

Wendy and Strider were practicing in a clearing in the forest. Despite his arm being in a sling, Strider was nonetheless able to block almost all of Wendy's many attacks with his telekinesis. He was proud to see that Wendy had incorporated some of the lessons that he had given her regarding using her Sky Dragon Magic in a telekinetic way.

"Sky Dragon Secret Art: Shattering Light: Sky Drill!" Wendy yelled, launching her most powerful attack at Strider. The attack encapsulated Strider, who smiled at the sheer ferocity of the young girl. Soon, however, it dissipated, and he remained unscathed. Wendy stopped, her breathing heavy.

"Not even a scratch," she whispered, downcast.

"Certainly not for lack of trying, Wendy. You're an amazing fighter and even better on support. This has nothing to do with your power; it's just that I have more experience," Strider said kindly, approaching her.

"But Jura is way more experienced than me, but he wasn't able to hurt you either," Wendy said.

"A different set of experience altogether. Mine was in battle, so it was paramount that I didn't slack," Strider said. He led Wendy to a tree, and they both sat down, sighing in relief as a cool breeze flew through the clearing.

"Strider's right, child," Carla said, levitating up to Wendy's head. "You're very powerful on your own."

"Thanks, Carla," Wendy said, smiling. "Hey Strider, can I ask you something?

"What is it, Wendy?" Strider wondered.

"What kind of training did you do when you were away?" Wendy asked.

"Why do you ask?" Strider wondered, intrigued.

"I'm just curious. I remember when you fought Acnologia, you weren't able to do a lot of damage. But those dragons we fought a while ago didn't trouble you much," Wendy said.

"Acnologia had a much more powerful hide than any of them, which made fighting him a lot harder. In many cases, dragons hide is nigh impenetrable unless you keep focusing on a particular spot over and over again. Those dragons were also a lot younger than Acnologia, I think," Strider said.

"Does that make a big difference?" Wendy wondered.

"Massive, in fact," Strider nodded. "A dragon's age tells you what you need to know about how to beat it. The older it is, the longer the fight will usually be. With age comes wisdom, knowledge, and power. An old dragon is a powerful dragon indeed," Strider said.

"What's the oldest dragon you've fought?" Wendy wondered.

"Probably close to several thousands of thousand of years at max, if I had to say. Before you ask, though - I lost that fight," Strider said.

"Really?" Wendy asked, surprised.

"Really. Dragons are highly magic resistant as well, so my telekinesis isn't as advantageous. It has to be used in a particular way to have any effect on them. But a dragon that old can invariably do as it pleases; the only thing that can easily beat it is an older dragon," Strider said.

"How did you get away from it?" Wendy asked.

"It let me go before going back to sleep," Strider sighed.

"Sleep?" Wendy asked, confused.

"Dragons are heavy sleepers," Strider laughed.

"Hmm…" Wendy hummed, hugging her knees.

"What is it, Wendy?" Strider wondered.

"I'm just thinking about Grandina," Wendy said.

"Your mother?" Strider wondered.

"Yeah. Strider…do you think she's still alive?" Wendy asked.

"I can't say for sure, Wendy," Strider said softly. "But a dragon isn't ever easy to take down. If Grandina, Metallicana, and Igneel escaped Acnologia, I do think there's a good chance they survived. But finding them would be difficult. Despite the sheer size of a dragon, the world is much larger."

"I hope she's okay," Wendy said softly. "I really want to see her again."

"I'm sure she'd be very proud of everything you've done," Strider said, ruffling her hair. Wendy gave him an appreciative smile before she stood back up again, fired up and ready for round two.

"There's something that I wanted to ask you as well," Strider said, following her up.

"What's that?" Wendy wondered.

"When Natsu fought Sting and Rogue, they underwent a transformation. What was that, again?" Strider wondered.

"Dragon Force," Wendy said. "It's the final state for a Dragon Slayer. They become a lot more powerful."

"And can you access it?" Strider wondered.

"No," Wendy shook her head, sighing sadly. "A Dragon Slayer needs to eat something that's super concentrated with their element and Ethernano."

"Ethernano?" Strider wondered. He couldn't recall hearing the term before.

"Particles of Magic that reside within every living thing, as well as the atmosphere," Carla informed him.

"Like…the air, we're breathing right now?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Indeed. Microscopic particulates, but there nonetheless," Carla said.

"I see. So if you ate a lot of air, you could enter Dragon Force now?" Strider wondered.

"Not exactly. She would have to eat a lot of Ethernano as well. As it stands, it's far too dispersed for it to have any effect on her," Carla said.

"Hmm…" Strider said, pacing back and forth.

"What is it, Strider?" Wendy wondered.

"Just thinking about something, Wendy," Strider said, pausing. He looked around him, slightly reproachful at not having studied more about the land he was in. Despite living here for so long, it was evident to him that he still had a lot to learn.

 _'That can come later,'_ Strider thought. Finally, he took a seat on the ground, carefully taking his sling off.

"Umm…what're you doing, Strider?" Wendy wondered.

"Just trying something out. It's been a while since I did something like this. This might take a while," Strider said. Pushing through the pain, he brought his hand's closer together and closed his eyes.

 _'Should be the same principle as Reconstitution. Going to have to feel out every particle,'_ Strider thought. He felt his excitement begin to increase as his hands suddenly started to feel a bit prickly. It was as though tiny beads were bouncing between them, pushing against and from his skin.

Wendy came around in front of him and looked on curiously at his hands. She could feel a sense of power coming from it, but couldn't quite place it just yet. It was a few minutes before the strength had seemingly increased, giving her an idea as to what it was.

Strider continued to focus his telekinetic power in that short area, expanding the area a slight bit every few minutes until finally, after half an hour of stringent concentration his hands were almost two feet apart. He envisioned a telekinetic sphere around the particles he had condensed together, acting as a container. Opening his eyes, he showed it to Wendy - who, while not able to see it entirely clear, could see what it was.

"You condensed the Ethernano?" Carla asked, intrigued.

"Right," Strider said, smiling at his creation. "If what you need is a lot of Ethernano, then this should work. I concentrated on pulling as much as I could from this whole place and condensing it into this. I'm not sure how much you need, but try taking a bite of it. Might be the kick you need to enter Dragon Force.

"That's quite impressive," Carla said.

"Thank you," Strider said appreciatively. "But is there any danger to consuming this? If so, it's not worth it."

"I don't think so," Wendy said thoughtfully. "I know Natsu ate raw Etherion once, and it nearly poisoned him, but that's because it's mixed in with a lotta other stuff. If it's just Ethernano and air, I should be okay."

"Got it. In that case, dig in," Strider said. Wendy leaned in and began to breathe in the air between Strider's hand. The result was almost instantaneous for her; she could almost taste the Ethernano within the concentrated pocket of air. She increased her speed, inhaling almost the whole thing. As she finished, she stumbled back a bit, her mind and body ablaze. Her power was yearning to break out, and she had to quickly figure out how to safely release. Soon, something else struck her mind - like a call back to days of old.

The wind around them began to increase. It rustled the leaves harder until a few of them began to shake as well. Carla was intently focused on Wendy, ready to leap into action in case something seemed wrong. Finally, she started to change.

The shy bluenette was gone; in her place stood a Dragon Slayer. Her hair went purple, as did her eyes. She had on white wristguards and ankle guards. Small white wings sprouted from her back, almost fairy-like. No longer smiling, she had a look of determination on her face.

Immediately, she sprung into an attack against Strider. On and on she went, laying into him with all her strength. Carla looked on in surprise at the newfound ferocity.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: SHATTERING LIGHT: SKY DRILL!" Wendy roared as she hurtled the attack at him - although now it was markedly improved. Strider braced himself, allowing it to connect. Wendy stood defiant, waiting for her attack to subside. Finally, as the smoke cleared, Strider was sitting as though he had been knocked down by her attack. Still, he sported a smile. Wendy looked on in surprise at the damage her attack did.

"Excellent, Wendy!" Strider exclaimed, dusting off the debris as he got back up. As she reverted back to her regular form, she hugged Strider and Carla tightly.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed in delight. Strider smiled as he hugged her back. Since joining the guild, he perceived her as a little sister. And now, he was immensely proud of her as any big brother would be.

"That was beyond impressive. I think you'll do well in the fight, Wendy. No doubt you'll shock some other people as well," Strider said with a wink as Wendy threw her arms around his neck and continued to hug him.

"Thank you!" she kept saying.

"Thank you indeed, Strider!" Carla said, hovering near him.

"Not at all," Strider said, ruffling Wendy's hair.

"You really are too modest," Carla sighed but smiled as Strider chuckled in return. Soon, Wendy started to play with the Exceed in excitement.

"Well, like I promised, I gotta help the others train as well. I'll see you later, Wendy," Strider said. Wendy nodded excitedly as she went back to her training; she would attempt to enter Dragon Force a few more times to get used to the change.

-o-

"Ah, now does this really count as training?" Strider asked as he pulled up a chair across from Cana, who was draining a bottle. She smiled and poured him one as he joined her.

"Definitely. Let's say it'll help dull my pain," Cana said. "Done with Wendy, then?

"Yup. I think she'll surprise everyone," Strider said.

"Any tips for me?" Cana wondered.

"Well, I recall Lucy tell me about the cards that you used against Freed and Bixlow during the S-Class Trials. Send some beautiful women out, and you'll knock out all the guys in an instant. Guaran-damn-tee it," Strider said. Cana giggled, taking out the cards that he was referring to. She swiveled them around in her hand, sighing and thinking on the idea. At this point, she would consider anything.

"But seriously," she sighed, adopting a frown. She put down her drink, swiveling the alcohol around.

"I know that you want to do well, Cana. You're an exceptional wizard, and I've no doubt you'll put on a great showing," Strider said.

"It's not just that…" Cana said, shifting a bit.

"You want to make Gildarts proud," Strider said, guessing what she was thinking. Cana looked back up at him and nodded. Strider sighed, quickly switching over to her side and putting an arm around her.

"He's your father. I'm sure that he's going to be proud of you no matter what. And if that weren't the case, you've given him enough reason to be proud by now. Hell, you faced down a bunch of dragons not too long ago. That'd strike awe in anyone," Strider said, smiling. Cana smiled at the praise that he proffered her. She took a moment to reflect on her growth as a wizard and smiled even wider as she noticed that over the years, she had grown into a powerful, independent woman. She did things how she wanted, not caring what others thought - she lived life exactly how she wanted. Turning, she gave Strider a happy kiss, easing her tongue in as she ran a hand down his chest, tapping as she hit his thigh.

"Thanks," she whispered as she broke the kiss, her lips still inches from his.

"Not at all. But, you asked me for advice, and I'm nobody if I can't at least give you that. I don't really know much about how your Magic works, beyond the fact that use cards as a conduit for it. The only thing I can suggest, really, is trying to combine the cards in different ways. Like how Rufus was able to combine his Magic to create something new when he fought against Gray. Try doing the same. Like…I dunno, fire with lightning or something," Strider said.

Cana quickly took out a few more cards and ran through them. She hadn't tried doing that very often - if at all. Usually, a single card that was correct for the situation was all that was needed. Deciding on two - Thunderbolt's Gate and Prayers Fountain - she tossed them forward at the same spot, along with a couple of cards that held women in them.

Two ladies were summoned. Wearing bikinis, both had a surprising look of ferocity. One summoned water from her hands while the other shot lightning from her fingers. Aiming at the forest in front of them, Cana's new spell did a significant amount of damage. Cana seemed to be just as surprised; she had immediately gained several new allies, it seemed.

"Excellent work," Strider said. Cana hugged him tight for his suggestion, excited at the breakthrough.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

"That you did. I think Gildarts is going to be really surprised when he sees that," Strider said.

"Thanks, Strider," she said seriously.

"Any time, Cana," Strider said, slinging an arm around her. The two held the position for a while.

"I really wish I didn't have to train," Cana whispered.

"No kidding," Strider said, leaning down and giving her another kiss. Cana moaned into it, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. With much slothfulness, the two finally broke apart.

"I'll see you later," she whispered.

"Right," Strider nodded, wistfully taking his leave. For now, he had to let her train.

-o-

"Good to see you, Juvia," Strider said kindly as he came across the Water Wizard.

"My love! We've had so little time together these past few days," she said sadly.

"I know," Strider sighed. "It's my fault. I promise that after everything done, you and I will spend some time together."

That was it. That was all Juvia needed to hear. To Strider's surprise, she veritably melted into a puddle on the spot. Strider was caught between laughing and terror, wondering if it would be possible for her to reconstitute herself. He knelt down and scooped as much of her as he could into his arms, smiling.

With much strength, Juvia finally pulled herself together, red in the face.

"Really? Are you sure? Positive? You mean it?" Juvia asked.

"Really. I'm sure. Positive. I mean it," Strider said, helping her back up. "Like I said, it's my fault. After the Contest, we'll go do something that you want to do."

"What I want to do?!" Juvia asked excitedly.

"Yup," Strider nodded, wondering if he made the right choice in giving her the choice of activity.

"Anything?!" she demanded.

"Uh…ssssure. No harm in that," Strider said. 'Probably.'

"It's a deal, then!" she said happily.

"Juvia? Hey, you here?" Meredy's voice suddenly called out. The pink haired wizard soon came into view, sighing exasperatedly as she found Juvia. "There you are!"

"Meredy? What're you doing here?" Strider wondered.

"Juvia found me earlier today and what to ask if I would train with her. Then she said something about sensing her beloved and ran off," Meredy grumbled. "Speaking of which, where is Gray?"

"Gray?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah, your beloved. I thought he was it? I remember Ultear saying something about it," Meredy said.

"Strider's my beloved," Juvia said, nuzzling him.

"Really? But I thought…no. Wait. Never. I suppose I ca—" Meredy began before Juvia was suddenly upon her, an evil glint in her eye.

"What. Was. That? Do you intend to take my beloved away from me?!" Juvia demanded.

"WHAT?! NO! I DON'T EVEN LIKE HIM!" Meredy yelped.

"Good," Juvia said, calming down and smiling sweetly at her friend. "Because otherwise…"

"Ah, well I suppose that's my cue. I'll leave you two ladies to the training, then," Strider said, bowing out quickly.

-o-

"Hi Strider!" came an adorable and tiny voice.

"Hi, Asuka. How are you?" Strider asked kindly, scooping the little girl up.

"I'm goo—I mean, I'm well!" Asuka said with a bright smile.

"Where's Bisca?" Strider wondered.

"Mamma!" Asuka yelled. From the trees, a breathless Bisca finally appeared.

"Asuka! Don't run off like that again!" Bisca said, a bit tired but smiling as she saw Strider holding her. "Hey, Strider. Thanks for finding her."

"She found me, actually," Strider said, laughing as Asuka tried to climb up to his shoulder. He began to levitate her.

"Mamma! I'm flying!" she said excitedly as she finally set upon his shoulder. "Yippee!"

"You training?" Strider wondered.

"Mostly just running after her. I decided not to enter the competition," Bisca sighed.

"Really? That's a shame," Strider said, frowning.

"Yeah. I dunno…just didn't feel like I should. Or want to, really," Bisca said, scooping Asuka into her arms and rocking her a bit. "That's not the example I want to set for her, at least."

"What do you mean?" Strider asked.

"Well…when I first came to Fiore, I was pretty quick in picking a fight with people. You could ask Erza more about that, actually. I just want to let her know that if you don't want to fight, you don't have to. Nothing wrong with staying out of it," Bisca said softly.

"I see," Strider said. He could understand where Bisca was coming from. As he looked at the young girl again, he felt a pang in his stomach. He wasn't much older than her when his world had been turned all those years ago. He was thrust into the field of battle young, against his will. If it didn't have to be that way for Asuka, he would ensure it. Almost mindlessly, he rested a hand on the young girls head, ruffling it softly. As Bisca looked at him, she saw the sadness in his eyes.

"Strider? Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"Hmm? Yes. Sorry. Just…lost in thought for a moment," Strider said, managing a somber smile. "I think you made the right choice."

"Really?" she asked, surprised.

"Really. Keep her away from the fighting as much as you possibly can. Even if it's in a controlled environment," Strider whispered.

"Asuka?! THERE YOU ARE!" Mavis suddenly exclaimed as she came upon them as well.

"Master Mavis!" Asuka yelped. Bisca set her down, smiling as she charged at the young First Master. The two immediately picked up a game of tag, laughing as each tried to catch the other.

"They get along very well, it seems," Strider said fondly.

"Master Mavis is still pretty much a kid," Bisca giggled. Gently, she took Strider's arm in hers, slinging it around her. He smiled and pulled her in a bit closer, kissing her atop her head.

"Can I ask you something?" she wondered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You started fighting when you were pretty young, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," Strider nodded.

"Do you ever think what would've happened if you decided not to fight?" she wondered.

"That's a good question," Strider said. "I'm sure I must've considered the question. But other than that, no, I don't think so."

"Maybe you would've stayed there?" she asked.

"That's probably certain. I only learned Telekinesis because I wanted to fight at the time," Strider said, clenching his fist several times. "It's what drove me."

Bisca gently grabbed his fast, uncurling it and gently tracing her fingers along his hand.

"Your hands are rough," she whispered, feeling the calluses.

"Gripping a sword so much leaves a mark," he sighed. "Seems to be the same case for you, it seems."

"Gripping a gun so much leaves a mark as well," she said with a smile. Strider returned it, kissing her hand before continuing on their walk.

-o-

"Hello Kinana, Laki," Strider said, smiling at the two beauties who were chatting in front of him.

"Hey, Strider," they said in unison.

"Are you two joining the fight tomorrow?" Strider asked, sitting on the grass with them.

"Laki is. I'm not," Kinana said.

"Mind offering me a few tips?" Laki wondered.

"Sure. Although, I'm not sure if I've ever seen your Magic before," Strider said.

"Well, I use Wood-Make Magic. It's like Gray's but with Wood. The problem is, I can't seem to do much with it combatively. I can make giant walls or huge maces and thing like that; I can also merge with the wood. But beyond that, I can't seem to do much else," Laki said.

"She has her torture devices as well, but they're not exactly portable," Kinana sighed.

"Torture devices?" Strider asked, turning a bit pale.

"Yeah. Iron maiden's, whips, a brazen bull, skewers, a few heretic forks, two lead sprinklers, a coffin cage, thumbscrews, a breaking wheel. Some other things," Laki said nonchalantly.

"Ah…I see," Strider said, unsure of what else to say. "You uh…haven't used them, have you?"

"Of course not! That'd be insane!" Laki said.

"Yeah…that's what's insane," Kinana said with a roll of her eyes.

"But…moving on. It's an interesting Magic, Laki. How to make it better, though? Hmm…" Strider hummed to himself for a while, trying to figure something out. "Unfortunately, I can't really think of much. Have you tried using it a bit more creatively? You could make a tree pop up out of the ground or something?"

"I guess," Laki said, concentrating hard on the spot behind Strider. It wasn't long until a giant tree popped out of the ground, covering him in a cool shade. Strider smiled and leaned back a bit, sighing in relief.

"Not bad. How about extending something out of the tree? You can control it to some extent, right?" Strider asked.

"Extending? Like what?" Laki asked.

"Branches or something. Make them sharp as spears," Strider said. Laki obliged; and with no effort at all, two sharp spikes shot out of the tree, parallel to the ground.

"Careful not to actually kill anyone with those," Strider said. However, Laki wasn't listening. She looked on in wonder.

"I GOT IT!" She shrieked.

"Got what?" Kinana asked, bewildered.

"Torture devices! I'LL SEE YOU TWO LATER!" She shouted, rushing off.

"It might not have been a good idea to give her any ideas," Kinana giggled.

"I'm thinking the same thing. Laki is an exceptional wizard. I'm sure she'll put it to good use. Enough about that, though. How're you, Kinana?" Strider asked, an unusually piercing look in his eye. Kinana shuffled a bit; she had an idea of what he was thinking.

"You know?" she finally asked quietly.

"I do," Strider nodded.

"And…what do you think?" she asked, uncertain.

"Not worse of you, if that's what you're implying," Strider said with a kind smile. "It's just interesting is all. What do you think about it is the more pertinent question."

"I dunno, really," she said, hugging her knees to her chest. "It's kind of a scary thought, knowing there's this other side of me that I didn't really know about."

"I can understand that," Strider said softly. "Don't worry too much about it, though. We'll all be here to keep you safe."

"Thanks," Kinana said with a smile. "I wanted to ask, though - do you have people like…me where you're from?"

"You shouldn't say it like that," Strider said with a sigh. "But no, I don't think so. I did visit another land where I encountered a woman like that, though."

"Really?" Kinana asked, surprised.

"Yeah. In her case, though, she could change into a dragon, not a snake," Strider said.

"A…a dragon?" Kinana asked, shocked.

"Yup. Pretty scary thing. She wasn't very nice herself, either, now that I think about it," Strider said. "Mostly left her alone, though; and she left me alone. Our paths didn't cross often, but it was always a sight to see when she transformed. I'm not sure of the mechanic behind her power, though."

"Wow…that's amazing," Kinana said, breathless. "I don't even know how I'm able to turn into a snake…"

"It might be that there's some sort of trigger. Otherwise, you just can't," Strider said.

"I'm not sure I even want to, though," she said.

"Nothing wrong with that," Strider said. "As far as we're all concerned, you're Kinana - and that's that."

"Thanks," she said, smiling.

"Best be on my way, though. I'm sure someone else would like help," Strider said, taking his leave.

-o-

Strider was walking through a large clearing when a pink-haired Dragon Slayer pounced on him.

"FIRE DRAGON IRON FIST!" Natsu roared, trying to get the jump on Strider. Strider opted not to move, letting the hit connect.

"I DID IT!" Natsu yelled in excitement.

"GO NATSU!" Happy exclaimed.

"Nice hit," Strider said, grinning. Natsu smiled in response as he went for another; Strider allowed it to connect as well, bolstering his confidence even further.

"Now I know I'll win!" he yelled, pointing at Strider.

"Hey, Strider, is there anything you can teach Natsu?" Happy asked, curious.

"Gildarts already taught you the most important lesson one should know. One that a lot of people still have to learn," Strider said, the last part more to himself. Natsu and Happy frowned, thinking back to Tenrou Island. Gildarts defeated Natsu by teaching him what it was to feel fear. The experience was still burned into his mind.

"I wish I could help you enter Dragon Force or something similar, but it's not as easy in your case. From what I understand, Ethernano has to be combined with your element - fire - and then you have to consume it. Honestly, in your case, my suggestion is just to do what you do best," Strider said.

"What's that?" Natsu wondered.

"Kick ass," Strider said.

Natsu grinned and leapt back, pointing at Strider. "You ready to throw down?!" he demanded.

"Arms in a sling, but sure," Strider nodded.

"No holding back, though! I want you to hit me with everything you got!" Natsu shouted.

"HEY! WAIT A MINUTE!" another voice soon interjected. A shirtless Gray appeared, running towards them at full force.

"HEY! WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING HERE!" Natsu shouted.

"He's not doing anything with you until he fights me!" Gray shouted.

"You're insane! I already challenged him!" Natsu yelled back.

"STRIDER! I CHALLENGE YOU!" Gray declared.

"WHY Y—" Natsu began before Strider cut them off.

"I'll take both of you on at the same time," Strider offered.

"That's not fair!" they both yelled.

"I think I can manage it," Strider said. "Besides, my arm is in a sling. It'd be embarrassing if you two combined couldn't beat me like this."

The two thought about it for a minute. They were about to agree when suddenly—"I THOUGHT I'D FIND YOU HERE! STRIDER! YOU'RE UP AGAINST ME!" Gajeel shouted.

"Him too?!" Gray demanded.

"Fine, fine, fine. Plenty of me to go around," Strider said. "Alright. You three versus me."

"Too easy," Gajeel said gruffly, grinning.

"Don't blame us if you can't fight," Gray said.

"Payback time for that first time we fought," Natsu said, grinning.

"I'll try to give it my all," Strider said, waiting for them.

"Begin!" Lily shouted.

"I'm up first!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Like hell!" Gajeel yelled back.

"GET READY!" Gray shouted.

Each quickly decided on their choice of attack and launched it at Strider, who braced himself. He could see Natsu's Fire Dragon Roar, Gray's Ice Bringer, and Gajeel's Iron Dragon Roar. As each attack approached, Strider brought up his own hand. The attacks were meters away when they suddenly stopped, as though frozen in time. With an easy flick of his hand, each attack was returned to sender. The three hastily got out of the way of their own attacks, surprised and chastising themselves for being so obtuse.

"Crap. I forgot he can do that," Natsu groaned.

"Hey! That's a cheap tactic!" Gajeel yelled.

"All's fair in love and war, and this is certainly the latter," Strider chuckled. "That it, fellas?"

"AS IF!" Gajeel shouted, getting in close. His arm turned into a giant iron pole which he brought crashing down on Strider. Before it reached its target, however, Strider stopped it - again. With another flick, Gajeel was sent flying into the dirt near Natsu and Gray. As he stood up, Strider was happy to see the continued looks of determination on their faces.

"What do you think, Natsu?" Gray asked seriously.

"Well, he was pretty strong when I picked a fight with him when he got here," Natsu said. "Looks like he's gotten even stronger."

"No duh," Gajeel agreed. "He's had seven more years of training, and it's not like he was a pushover before. This isn't gonna be easy."

"You can do it, Natsu!" Happy cheered his friend on.

"Come on, Gajeel! You're stronger than this!" Lily shouted.

"Get in close?" Gajeel asked.

"Let's go for it. I'll distract him," Gray said.

The three separated, with Gray making a beeline straight for Strider. He suddenly felt his body hurled back. As Gray looked back up, he saw that Gajeel and Natsu were hurled right at him. The three collapsed on each other, grumbling as they got back up.

"Time out," Strider said, approaching them.

"WHAT?! WE'RE NOT DONE YET!" Natsu shouted.

"Maybe not, but my arm is starting to kill me again," Strider said, shaking his sling a bit. "Not sure I want to risk getting it hurt, especially this close to the contest. However, I think I know what you three need."

"What's that?" Gajeel asked.

"A fight with each other. You three are probably the most competitive guys in the guild. You're never able to finish your squabbles, though. Try outdoing each other. Whoever wins today is probably going to be the one to last the longest during the fight," Strider said.

Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu each looked at each other. Slowly, they each grinned; Strider was right on that. With a short laugh, he bowed out to the sounds of trees crunching and the ground getting pulverized. Looking over his shoulder, the clearing he left them in was a blaze, frozen, and dusted with iron.

-o-

"Training hard?" Strider asked as he came across Erza. She was training in tandem with Jellal and Ultear, both of whom kept her on her toes.

"As hard as I can," she said, pausing.

"She's still a monster," Ultear grumbled. Noting Strider's arm, she tilted her head a bit. "You don't look too good."

"Not too bad, considering the alternative," he sighed, moving his arm a bit. Each inch sent a shock through his system.

"Erza told us what happened. It's lucky the spider wasn't poisonous," Jellal said.

"Venomous," Strider corrected him.

"What?" Jellal asked.

"If you bite it and you die, it's poisonous; if it bites you and you die, it's venomous. A spider would be venomous. Plus, the venom is injected through the bite, not the sting," Strider said.

"Talk about pedantic," Ultear grumbled.

"Corrections must be made when they arise," Strider laughed.

"Incidentally, there's something I'd like to ask you. Although considering your current state, perhaps it'd be best to wait," Jellal said.

"Oh? What is it?" Strider asked.

"Ever since our first encounter, I've been curious about your strength. I was wondering whether you'd like to spar with me?" Jellal asked.

"Here?" Strider asked.

"He's hurt, Jellal," Erza said sharply.

"I'm not sure whether that's enough to stop him, which is why I asked regardless," Jellal said.

"Ahh…well, I suppose I can. Going to have to take it easy on me, though," Strider said.

"Strider - are you sure?" Erza asked unsurely.

"Yeah. Should be fine," Strider said. "

"Very well. We won't be able to use any significant magic, however," Jellal said.

"As you wish," Strider nodded, bracing himself for what was to come. He knew almost nothing of what Jellal's Magic entailed and was interested in seeing it in action.

Jellal was engulfed in a bright golden light and launched himself at Strider like a Meteor. It wasn't long before he soon careened into the ground, Strider's telekinesis guiding him down.

"I expected that," Ultear sighed.

"Do you think he has a chance?" Erza wondered.

"I'm not sure. Jellal couldn't damage the dragons either, remember? Without knowing the limit of Strider's Magic, it'll be difficult to overcome. Theoretically, he could control every atom in Jellal's body and bend it however he wanted," Ultear said.

"Why wouldn't he just do that against the spider, then?" Erza asked.

"You'd have to ask him. You told me about a job you took with him against a monster that was Magic resistant. It could've been the same case," Ultear said. "Or his mind was somewhere else, and he didn't think to use it."

Meanwhile, Jellal was hurling attack after attack at Strider, each of which he easily deflected. He raised his hand against some, but others he simply deflected away.

"Hmm…" Jellal hummed to himself, wondering what his next mode of attack would be.

"It'll be difficult for you to get in, I'm afraid," Strider suddenly said.

"Meaning?" Jellal asked.

"There are a few things my telekinesis won't work on, but against simple attacks like that, it's not very difficult. Against people as well, for the most part," Strider said, suddenly flicking two fingers down. Jellal suddenly collapsed to the ground, his body unable to move.

"Not…even…an…inch…" Jellal gasped to himself. He tried to move his fingers, but even they wouldn't respond. Finally, Strider released him from his hold. As Jellal looked up, he saw that Strider was frowning.

"That's the problem when it comes to people," Strider said, lifting his fingers up and raising Jellal to his feet. "Almost zero defense against Magic whatsoever. A dragon or a beast like that is difficult to affect with telekinesis, but people are a different story. You might be able to repel some attacks, but telekinesis bombards you from every direction, at the same time, with the same about of force. You'll need to think of something new."

"Has anyone ever broken it?" Ultear wondered.

"A few, when I was younger. There are still improvements to be made," Strider said.

"That's hard to imagine," she grumbled. "Anyways, I think that's game, set, match. Not hurt, are you?"

"Only my ego," Jellal sighed.

"I was going to offer my help, but something tells me you don't need it," Strider said to Erza, smiling.

"I should be all right," she said, returning his smile.

"By the way, I've been meaning to borrow a boo—" Strider began before he was cut off with a sword flying by his ear. He slowly turned around to see it lodged deep in a tree.

"My apologies, Strider. My hand must have slipped. You were saying?" Erza asked sweetly.

"Ah…nothing, now that I think about it," Strider said. "See you back at the hotel!"

-o-

"You appear to be busy training here as well," Strider said, coming upon Kagura. She was alone in a clearing, solemnly training her swordsmanship. He had observed her for a few moments and was impressed with what he saw; despite his proficiency with Magic, he could tell that as a pure swordsman, she exceeded him.

"Yes. It appears as your Guild is as well?" Kagura asked.

"Yup. What about yours?" Strider wondered.

"Here as well. Some of them have teamed up, others prefer to train by themselves. Unless our Master is here, in which case we usually train alongside her," Kagura said.

"She's missing out on all the excitement," Strider said.

"I believe she feels the same way. That said, her duties in Alikitasia still call to her from time to time," Kagura said.

"Care for a sparring partner?" Strider inquired.

"We're going to be competing against each other," she said.

"I know. Still thought it'd be polite to ask," Strider said.

"You don't seem to be 100% yet," she said, looking at his arm.

"I only need one hand to wield a sword," Strider said, drawing his.

"Very well. Don't expect any mercy, however," she said.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Strider said, preparing himself.

Kagura launched at him at an incredible speed, her sword cutting through the air. Strider quickly brought Anglachel up and blocked her before telekinetically rocketing her back. As she had done during the event against him, she used her Gravity Magic to reposition herself.

 _'Going to have to find a way around that trick,'_ Strider thought to himself. Because her Gravity Magic required no physical movement to enact, Kagura was free to adjust it as she wished to throw off the cadence of his telekinesis.

Strider changed his track, keeping her on her toes and sending projectiles at her - branches, shrubs, rocks, gravel, entire trees. She cut through some and evaded others. Each time she tried to attack, he launched her right back. After several minutes had passed, neither had gained much ground.

Strider noted that Kagura's breathing began to grow heavier after a little while. The continued use of her Magic was draining her, and it showed in her movement; she was a bit slower, and her slashes lessened a bit in power.

Finally, he found his opportunity in a slight respite she had offered herself. Her body crashed to the ground where she stayed for a few moments before getting back up, panting.

"It appears…I need to work…on my breathing," she sighed.

"I think so as well," Strider said. "I'm not entirely familiar with the mechanics of Magic and how it's drained here. Erza seems to be able to hold her Requips for a while and Natsu seems to have an unending source of energy."

"Erza's Magic is only depleted if she uses a kind of armor that requires a significant amount of magical energy. Otherwise, she could likely keep some of her armors on for days on end, if she wished. As for Natsu, I'm not sure. I'm more used to swordsmanship, however; I've only ever used my Gravity Magic sparingly. Part of the reason is that sustained usage drains the user quickly," Kagura said.

"Interesting," Strider said. As far as he could recall, he had never had the problem of not being able to use his Magic.

"Is it not the same where you come from?" she wondered.

"Not really. The type of Magic I use isn't particularly normal where I'm from. I found more examples of it in the continent to our East, a place called Thedas. They wizards I met there have almost inexhaustible reservoirs of Magic," Strider said.

"It's quite amazing," Kagura suddenly said.

"What is?" Strider wondered.

"There's a place full of people that you know about that none of us here have ever had the chance to meet. It's almost surreal," she said.

"Never really thought of it like that. I can see what you're saying, though," Strider said thoughtfully. "Have you ever left Fiore?"

"Never," she said.

"No interest?" he wondered.

"It's not that. It's just…I've never had a reason to go elsewhere. Everything I wanted to do was right here," she said softly.

"It might do good to get a wider perspective," Strider said.

"Perhaps," Kagura said, sighing. "I should continue my training."

"I'll leave you to it, then," Strider said, turning to leave.

"Strider!" Kagura called out suddenly.

"Hmm?" Strider asked.

"Thank you. For taking the time to train with me," she said, blushing a bit.

"Any time," Strider said, smiling.

-o-

"Ah, Strider. Greetings," Freed said as Strider entered a clearing where the Thunder Legion was training.

"Good to see you Freed, Bixlow, Evergreen, Laxus," Strider said, acknowledging the others.

"Not training with Mira or Erza? Or maybe one of the other many ladies chasing you?" Evergreen teased.

"All busy doing their own thing. I imagine Mira's with Elfman, though. Surprised you two haven't absconded yet," Strider chuckled.

"WHAT?! AS IF I'D BE CAUGHT DEAD WITH THAT OAF!" Evergreen shouted.

"You been training?" Laxus asked.

"Been helping others, mostly," Strider replied.

"That might come back to bite you later," Laxus said with a smirk.

"I can only hope so," Strider said.

"If you're not busy, perhaps you'd be open to sparring with us? I've meant to try my luck against you since the S-Class Trials," Freed said.

"If you want, sure," Strider said, sighing ever so slightly. 'Not again…' he grumbled to himself.

"One on one probably isn't fair, Freed. Might as well make it two on one," Bixlow said, grinning at Strider.

"I'm game if he is," Laxus nodded.

"Four on one. No doubt you're strong, and I doubt our individual capabilities in taking you out. As a team, however, we might stand a chance," Evergreen said.

"Don't hold back," Strider said.

"Dark Écriture: Darkness," Freed said, going for one of his most powerful forms off the bat. Strider looked on in interest as Freed's body changed into that of a demon; his green hair flowed behind him as his body appeared to turn into a black metallic armor. Dark wings jutted from his back, his menacing visage trained on Strider.

"Fairy Machine Gun!" Evergreen roared as she sent a barrage of light bullets at Strider.

"Alright, babies! Baryon Formation!" Bixlow grinned as a geyser of explosive green energy shot at Strider.

"LIGHTNING DRAGON ROAR!" Laxus yelled, sending a powerful attack at Strider.

"Darkness Breath!" Freed yelled, sending a tornado of black wind at Strider. The four were far more in sync than Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray, Strider thought. Nonetheless, he was able to deflect each attack with his. As the dust cleared, he was unscathed, his right arm outstretched.

"Man, not even a scratch," Bixlow said lamely. Strider just winked in response.

"Is there any attack you can't deflect?" Laxus inquired.

"If the attacks give me time to react, it's certainly difficult to break through. I've practiced by telekinesis for several hours a day for almost twenty years now, sometimes for days on end without any respite. It'd be beyond embarrassing if it wasn't near impenetrable," Strider said.

"Ugh, forgot you got seven years on us," Bixlow grumbled.

"Considering he slew Acnologia before that, I'm not sure if those seven years removed would've helped us," Freed said.

"Do you not use any sort of defensive Magic, then?" Evergreen asked.

"What do you mean?" Strider wondered.

"Freed and Levy can both set up barriers with their Letter Magic. Can you do something similar?" She expanded.

"Not like that, no. I just use telekinesis. It's a great barrier all on its own," Strider said.

"Unless something breaks your concentration?" Evergreen asked with a smirk.

"Ah. Yes…Minerva," Strider sighed. "Won't be making that mistake again, I assure you."

"I thought Mira was going to kill her," Evergreen chirped.

"No kidding. Never seen her so pissed before," Bixlow laughed.

"The match is still ongoing," Freed said, launching himself at Strider. The slight distraction wasn't enough. Strider flicked his hand at Freed and launched him into the others, hurtling them all backward.

"Looks like this match rules in my favor," Strider chuckled, taking his leave.

"Ugh. Gonna have to find a way around his Magic. Maybe if I make mine a bit faster…" Laxus thought aloud to himself. Grinning, he got to work.

-o-

"You seem to be hard at work, Lucy," Strider said, coming across his teammate. Lucy squealed in fright; her back was turned to him, and she was concentrating on meditating as Capricorn had advised her to do.

"LUCY KICK!" she shouted. Strider was caught off guard and the kick connected with him, sending him back a few feet.

"OH CRAP! STRIDER! I'M SO SORRY!" Lucy screamed, helping him back up. "I DIDN'T HURT YOU, DID I?! DID I BREAK YOUR ARM?! CRAP! SO SORRY!"

"Relax Lucy, relax," Strider said, a few beads of sweat trickling down his head. The attack certainly did hurt him. He felt about ready to tear his arm off; the pain was at a tipping point now.

"You sure?" she asked uncertainly.

"Positive. You seem to be hard at work," he said.

"No kidding," she sighed, stretching a bit. "I've been meditating since we got here. Capricorn said it'll help my concentration and how long I can keep my spirits out."

"Yes, I believe I recall him saying that. You're doing an excellent job," Strider said. "How do you feel about the match?"

"Hmm. I dunno, actually," she mused. "I know that it's going to be hard, but I figured I might as well try, right? Best case, I win and get that 50 million jewel. Worst case, maybe I'll get a bit stronger."

"That's quite an optimistic outlook," Strider said with a small smile.

"I think it's what my mom and dad would've wanted," she said, her eyes misting over slightly. Strider nodded, moving forward and hugging her. He could tell that the loss of her father was still heavy on her mind. She put her arms around him in return, thankful for his presence.

"They'd be very proud of you, I think. I certainly am. You showed a great deal of courage against the fight against the dragons. In fact, without you, I'd be dead by now," Strider said.

"I don't know about that. You held them off for a long time," she said.

"Still, 10,000 dragons would've been impossible for me. I was at my wit's end with just those seven. I suppose I owe you a great debt," Strider said.

"Na. We're even," she giggled. "Hey, you want to sit down for a bit? You seem a bit pale."

"Hmm? Do I?" Strider asked, touching his face. He wiped away the sweat, cursing himself for letting it get like that.

"Yeah. Come on," she said worriedly, sitting him down against a tree. She sat side by side, resting against his arm.

"I just remembered I still need a place to stay when we get home. Perhaps I—" Strider began but was quickly cut off.

"No boys allowed," she sighed.

"Not even on the couch?" he asked.

"Nope," she said.

"Not even if I asked nicely?" he pressed.

"Nope," she responded.

"Not even if I begged?" he said.

"Still no. My landlady would kill me and I'm pretty sure she wants to already," Lucy grumbled.

"Looks like it's back to staying at the guild for me," Strider sighed.

"I forgot you still don't have a place of your own," Lucy sighed. "Maybe you can try staying with Natsu. His place is kinda small, though. And messy. And dirty."

"A roof is enough," Strider said.

"Don't you mean a roof and bed?" Lucy asked.

"I've done without beds for long enough to not miss them when they're not around. A roof…after sleeping out in a downpour or near an active volcano, you appreciate what it means to have something over your head," Strider said. "Perhaps I could try Fairy Hills…"

"Only if you want to become a girl," Lucy said. "You should have enough money saved up to get a place, though."

"Yeah, probably. Figured I'd explore other options first," he said, eliciting a giggle from her.

"I just realized that we haven't spent a lot of time together since the Games," she said softly.

"My fault," Strider sighed, putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "Once everything's done, perhaps we can."

"I'd like that," she said softly, putting her arms around him and inching a bit closer. She had forgotten how warm he was.

"Hey Strider?" she asked softly.

"Hmm?" he wondered.

"Mind if we stay like this for a while?" she asked.

"As long as you want, Lucy," Strider said, softly running a hand through her hair. She smiled at his words and got as comfortable as she could, listening to the soft sound of his heartbeat.

-o-

"Elfman and Lisanna aren't here?" Strider asked as he came across Mira. She wasn't training like the others; she had opted to walk along the river, admiring how it twinkled under the moonlight. Strider noted she wasn't exactly dressed to train; she wore a beautiful black dress that was more implicative of a night on the town.

"Hey. Lisanna ran off to find Natsu. She saw some fire and ice in the distance and figured he'll probably need some first aid," she said.

"Prescient of her. He was with Gray and Gajeel last I left them," Strider said.

"And Elfman said he's going off to train in private for a bit. Code for see Evergreen," Mira giggled.

"Prescient of you, in this case," Strider laughed. "How about you? Not going to train?"

"I think that I'm ready enough. It's such a beautiful night out, though, I just wanted to relax for a bit," she said, kneeling down and running a hand through the water.

"In that case, mind if I join you?" Strider asked.

"I'd like that," she said. Strider offered his arm to her, which she happily took. The two began to walk along the bank of the river, away from the city and deeper into the forest, where they were less likely to be interrupted.

"How's your arm feeling?" she asked.

"Aching, but better," Strider said, moving it again. The pain from before had mostly worn off, but it still felt tender. He figured it would be better before the fight started.

"Seriously, be more careful next time," Mira sighed, hugging his other arm a bit tighter.

"I promise I will," Strider said. "In my defense, I thought it was dead."

"Same. I've no idea how it even managed to attack you," she said worriedly.

 _'Be more thorough next time,'_ Anglachel whispered in his mind.

"I'll have to be more thorough next time," Strider mused.

"I wanted to ask - after the fight, you're going to tell me more, right?" Mira asked.

"Whatever you wish to know," Strider sighed. He couldn't say he was looking forward to it, but he knew the questions would come sooner or later. He had mostly evaded them for a long while; eventually, he'd have to relent.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Not at all," Strider said.

They continued walking in silence until they came upon a small waterfall that emptied into a pool that lead into the river. The moon and stars reflected softly off of the crystal clear water, giving it a beautiful soft glow.

"Beautiful," Mira said, resting her head against his chest.

"More so with present company," Strider said. She smiled and pressed herself closer to him, enjoying the moment.

"This is the other great thing about Crocus. At night, you can see so many stars," she said, looking up.

"I can tell," Strider said, tilting his head up as well. "The stars are extremely important to a race of people from my homeland. They love them more than anything."

"Why's that?" Mira asked.

"They glow like them for one," Strider said with a chuckle. "When they woke, it was the first thing they ever saw; and water, the first thing they ever heard. They love the stars and the water more than much else. The People of the Stars."

"Do you know them?" Mira asked.

"I'm lucky enough to consider some of them as my friends," Strider said.

"Miss them?" She asked softly.

"I do," Strider said, smiling. "Maybe not as much as I missed you all those years."

"Charmer," Mira said, turning to face him. Strider smiled and tilted her head up, giving her a gentle kiss. Mira giggled, leaning into it and wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt his right hand descend down her body, giving her a tight squeeze before resting there. They leaned deeper and deeper into the kiss, their teeth clicking and their tongues massaging the others. As Mira broke the kiss, she gave Strider a deep look of passion before wistfully looking at his arm.

"Ugh…" she replied.

"No kidding," Strider grumbled, trying to move it. It retaliated by flaring up, moving past aching territory. Mira looked at him worriedly as he flinched, stopping him from making it worse.

"Relax. We have plenty of time," she said, leaning up and giving him another kiss. "Besides, there's something else instead."

"Hmm?" Strider wondered. His question was soon answered as Mira gave him a seductive smile. Keeping her lips separated from his by inches, she moved her hands slowly down his chest, massaging it gently. She giggled as she undid his pants, gently slipping her hand inside. Strider moaned in pleasure as she began to stroke him gently, kissing him along the neck as she did so. She refused to say another word, preferring to let her touch do all the talking.

She licked his lips softly before licking her own, slowly going down and taking his pants down with her. She smirked as he came free, Mira continued to stroke before slowly easing her lips around him. Strider groaned, wishing there was something leaning against so he could enjoy this completely. He weaved his hand through her hair and slowly began to thrust. Mira felt him at the back of her throat, fucking her mouth harder and harder. She could feel herself getting wet but focused on giving her full attention to him. She took pride in the continued moans and grunts she got from him as she danced her tongue atop the head. Strider could feel each pleasurable lash of her tongue, and as he looked down, he saw that she was staring back up at him, her blue eyes full of passion and love.

She continued going, switching her method here and there. From stroking him and dancing her tongue on the head; to enveloping him entirely in her mouth, going as deep and far as she could; to hollowing her cheeks and trying to drain him. All the while, however, she kept looking at him, confident that this was just the first step for them.

She had gone on for a while when finally, Mira felt him gush. She was surprised for her first time, but she quickly acclimated. She smirked inwards as she swallowed, feeling a heightening sense of pride. She hollowed her cheeks again, looking up at him as she drained him of every last bit. As she rose back to her feet, she saw Strider grinning like never before.

Looking down, she saw that her dress had gotten sloppy, covered with all the saliva she dripped onto herself. She cleaned up the little that was around her mouth before transforming into another, cleaner dress - a hot red that she was sure would keep him excited.

"Let's get back to the hotel, yeah? It's getting late," she said, smirking.

"Your wish, my command," Strider said, putting an arm around her and heading back.

-o-

"You'll have to watch your back during the fight," Mira said, resting her head against him.

"Which makes it even more fun," Strider replied.

"And then we can finally go back home," Mira sighed happily.

"I dunno, I really like that penthouse," Strider said.

"Yeah, but it's not home," Mira said.

"Speaking of which, I still need to find a place," Strider lamented again.

"I don't get that. You've done quite a few high paying jobs; you can get something really nice," Mira said.

"Maybe I can stay with you or something?" He suggested.

"I'd love that, actually," Mira said softly, smiling at the thought. "But no more room with Lis and Elf. Plus, not like we could get any privacy with them around."

"Ugh. Good point," Strider grumbled.

"Are you still going to do that Century Quest when we get back?" Mira asked softly.

"Yeah," Strider said.

"Please be careful," she said softly.

"I promise that I will," Strider said, kissing her atop her head. She leaned in a bit more, still uncomfortable at the thought of him going at a Century Quest alone.

"Master, Gildarts, Wizard Saints, Council Members - only Gildarts has tried, and it really messed him up. Don't underestimate it," she said.

"I'll be okay," he muttered. She could tell that he meant it, but it didn't soothe her by much. The look was on her face as they walked back to the hotel to prepare for bed. As they got there, they saw Master Makarov talking with a solemn looking man.

"Something wrong?" Strider wondered.

"Nothing wrong, my boy. Just someone to see you," Makarov said.

"You must be Strider," the man said. Mira gasped as an older gentleman with a clean cut appearance appeared. His hair was dark, and there was a tattoo of a cross on his forehead. He wore a bowtie and a button up shirt, covered by a vest. He wore a large ring on his middle finger; his appearance was topped off with a cape; he looked reminiscent of a vampire.

"I am. And you are…?" Strider asked.

"My name is Draculos Hyberion," the man said, introducing himself as he regarded Strider.

"Strider, this is Hyberion. Number two amongst the Ishgar Four and a Wizard Saint," Makarov said, introducing the man further.

"Pleasure. What can I do for you, Mr. Hyberion?" Strider asked.

"Perhaps we could talk in private?" Hyberion said. Strider nodded and gave Mira a hug and a smile as he walked off with Hyberion.

"Master, what's going on?" she asked.

"Nothing like that, Mirajane. They just wanted to talk to him about something," Makarov said. Mira looked on curiously before nodding and heading to her room.

-o-

"You are a talented wizard, Strider," Hyberion finally said.

"Thank you, Mr. Hyberion. But I'm only as talented as those that mentored me," Strider said.

"Your modesty precedes you," Hyberion said as Strider smiled. "I'm afraid I've little time, so onto business. The Saints and the Council asked that I come on their behalf to set up a time to view the body of Acnologia."

"I understand. The special event is soon, and I will participate in it as well as the festivities that follow. I should be ready to show you the body in around… three or so days?" Strider said.

"Very well," Hyberion said as he began to walk away. That, apparently, was all that he wanted to say.

"Mr. Hyberion," Strider said.

"Yes?" he asked.

"What can you tell me about the attacks in Alvarez?" Strider asked.

"Why?" Hyberion asked.

"Curious, mostly," Strider said.

"I see. Not much, as it stands. However, I was informed that there was an attack recently - yesterday, actually. I am still waiting on the details," Hyberion said.

"Yesterday?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Indeed," Hyberion said.

"Would you mind sharing what you learn with me?" Strider asked.

Hyberion gave him a piercing look. However, he soon shook his head.

"I'm afraid that'll have to be decided at a more appropriate time. You can ask the Saints and the Council for more information when we view the body. Farewell," Hyberion said.

"Very well," Strider said, grating his teeth a bit. "Goddamned politicians."

"Did you say something?" Hyberion asked, pausing.

"You can ask me again when we view the body. Farewell," Strider answered, taking his leave.

"Probably not a good idea to piss of the council, my boy," Makarov sighed as he appeared at Strider's side.

"Sorry, Master Makarov," Strider sighed, rubbing his head. "They just never make it easy to fix anything."

"No kidding. It's why I couldn't be bothered to attend all those meetings," Makarov said with a chuckle. "Good night, my boy."

"Good night, Master Makarov," Strider said, heading to his room for some much-needed rest.


	33. Contest

**Hey, everyone! Hope you're all doing well. As I mentioned in Ch. 28, I'm going to be taking a break from working on _Prince of Peace_ in July. I'll be working on my other two stories for that month, _Beware my Power_ and _Memories of the Straw Hat_. One thing I learned in writing for the last 1.5 years is not to work on one thing for too long - you'll just end up burning out. **

**With that said, I'll see you in August!**

 **-o-**

As he woke up the following morning, Strider heard what appeared to be several people talking outside. He slowly roused from his bed, gently moving his left arm every which way. His range of motion was returned and he could move it around freely for the most part. His shoulder still felt achy, that wasn't anything new to him.

Quickly getting ready, he headed out to see what the commotion was. Bisca seemed to have let Mira, Cana, Lucy, Erza, and Juvia into the penthouse and they were all enjoying a feast of a breakfast before the tournament began.

Strider smiled as Mira looked up at him, smirking slightly. Their experience was still heavy on his mind, as was the one with Bisca.

"Ladies," Strider greeted them.

"Hey. Feeling better?" Cana asked.

"Much. I can finally move around," he said, demonstrating.

"Ready for the fight?" Lucy asked.

"He's probably the most ready," Bisca sighed.

"You never know. Today might be the day I get my a—" he began but quickly quieted as he saw Asuka sitting on the table and looking curiously at him. The girls gave him a warning look as well. "I might finally get beaten down."

"You can do it!" Asuka cheered for him.

"Thanks, Asuka," he said, ruffling her hair. "Where's Wendy?"

"Still sleeping," Asuka said.

"Carla mentioned she trained really hard yesterday, so I wanted to let her get a bit more rest. Still got some time before the fight," Bisca said.

"Good choice. I think she's going to surprise a lot of people today," Strider said.

"What did you teach her?" Juvia wondered.

"I wouldn't want to spoil it, I'm afraid. Better if she just demonstrates for everyone at once," Strider said cheerfully. "By the way, has Gildarts made it here yet?"

"Yeah, just this morning. I think he's getting some rest as well before the fight. Good thing the king is such a good guy, letting him enter even though he was late," Cana said.

"Ready to show off what you learned too?" Strider asked.

"You know it," she said in a sing song voice, smiling brightly at him.

"Might wanna watch your back today, Strider," Lucy declared, seemingly more confident than he thought her to be.

"Bring it on," Strider said, grinning.

"Does anyone know how many people are in the fight?" Bisca asked.

"Something like two or three hundred. They've been expanding the size of the arena for the last few days to accommodate everyone. Pretty much every guild that stuck around after they got eliminated in the first round is participating," Mira said.

"Fodder," Cana said smugly. She was sure that'd she rack up several points.

"That's not nice," Mira sighed.

"I'm certain that many of our own will make it to the top one hundred at the very least. In fact," Erza said, getting up. They all looked and saw the passion in her eyes, her aura are fiery as her hair. "It would be an insult if anyone but a Fairy Tail Wizard got that title! NO MATTER WHAT, ONE OF US WILL WIN!"

"Got that right!" Lucy cheered, punching the air.

"I think that's pretty much a guarantee," Mira giggled. "Anyways, we better get ready, ladies."

"Thanks for breakfast, Strider," Lucy said as she headed out with Erza, who was still fired up.

"Yup. See you later," Cana said, quickly kissing him on the cheek before running from a fired up Juvia. Mira gave him a sweet smile before she left as well.

"You want to get some more sleep, sweety?" Bisca asked Asuka, who was rubbing her eyes.

"A little," the little girl said, smiling as Bisca cradled her gently in her arms. She put her to bed before heading out to the balcony again, sitting next to Strider.

"Be careful during the fight today. You say that you're feeling better, but I know you put on a face for others," she said seriously.

"I really am feeling better, though. I can move my arm fine now. My shoulders still a bit aching, but that's to be expected," he said.

Bisca sighed, gently pulling down the fabric over his shoulder to expose the vicious black mark. She touched it as gently as she could, but Strider still reacted.

"Does it hurt that bad?" She asked.

"Unfortunately," Strider sighed. "A cursed blade will do that to you."

"What happened during that fight?" She asked.

"I'll tell you about it when I tell the others. I imagine it's going to be the first question on everyone's mind," Strider sighed.

"Can't blame us for that," she said softly. "It's been hurting you since as long as I've known you. Try not to put too much pressure on it."

"Your wish is my command," Strider said with a little laugh. Bisca smiled, scooting a little closer and kissing him along the neck before moving to his lips. She ran a slender finger down his cheek, breaking the kiss to admire his features. With a smile, she got right back to it.

-o-

"Champion of Fiore. Sounds pretty nice," Strider said as he headed downstairs with Bisca, Asuka, and Wendy.

"What're you going to do with the money if you win, Wendy?" Asuka wondered.

"That's a good question," Wendy said thoughtfully. Truth be told, she hadn't thought of what she'd do with it - in fact, it was likely that none of them had.

"You should get some toys!" Asuka said.

"I think I will," Wendy said.

"I know I'm getting a house or something," Strider sighed.

"You can stay with us, right Momma?!" Asuka chirped.

"Ah…I don't know about that, sweetheart," Bisca said, blushing madly. Strider managed to stifle the laugh that was threatening to spill over.

"Why not?" Asuka wondered innocently.

"It's…just complicated," Bisca said. "Oh, here's your toy gun!"

"Yay!" Asuka exclaimed happily, shooting at Wendy with it. The Dragon Slayer laughed happily as she evaded the shots.

As Bisca looked at Strider, she saw him wink at her, making her blush even harder.

-o-

As they met the others, Strider noticed that Gajeel, Gray, and Natsu were all smiling ear to ear.

"You guys look happy," Strider said.

"I'm definitely winning today," Natsu said smugly.

"As if, Flame-Brain. You got no shot against me," Gray retorted.

"Huh? I kicked both of your asses yesterday," Gajeel said.

"WHAT?! AS IF! YOU COULD BARELY LAND A HIT!" Gray shouted.

"BARELY?! I MISSED ONE ATTACK! YOU MISSED HALF OF 'EM!" Gajeel yelled.

"IT'S CALLED A TACTIC!" Gray shouted.

"WHAT?! YOU'RE NOT THAT SMART, GRAY!" Natsu chimed in.

"Idiots," Erza sighed, face-palming.

"They're just getting excited," Strider laughed.

"Strider! You ready?!" Gildarts shouted as he approached, grinning.

"Gildarts, good to see you again. You know I am," Strider said.

"Hey Gildarts!" Natsu exclaimed, pointing at him. "You're mine today!"

"Ha. We'll see, Natsu. I'm looking forward to seeing how strong you've gotten," Gildarts said with a small smile. As much as he wanted to see Strider in action again, he especially wanted to see the strides that Cana and Natsu had made.

"Hey, Natsu! You ready?" Lisanna asked, coming up behind him.

"Oh hey, Lis," Natsu said, grinning. "Hell yeah! I'm gonna kick Gildarts' as—" he began before Lisanna suddenly pressed a hand to his mouth, sighing.

"Asuka's here. No swearing," she said.

"His…butt!" Natsu corrected.

"Can't wait to see it," Lisanna said, smiling. She looked to the elevator and squealed in excitement as she saw Elfman and Evergreen come down.

"You two finally shack up?" Strider asked. Bixlow grinned along with him as he saw them turn red.

"A real man doesn't…" Elfman trailed off.

"Whatever you say, big guy," Bixlow said.

Slowly, everyone else finally settled into the lobby as well, making small talk and waiting for Master Makarov.

"The Contest to determine the champion is finally here! I wish you all the best of luck! BRING HOME ANOTHER WIN FOR FAIRY TAIL!" Makarov yelled. The raucous reply shook the whole building.

-o-

As they went to Domus Flau, they found they were the first ones there. It caused a slight stir amongst the guild; punctuality wasn't their strongest suit. However, they were soon joined by Blue Pegasus. Jenny quickly broke away from her guild and rushed at Strider, hugging him tightly.

"STRIDER!" the blonde bombshell screamed.

"Glad to see you too, Jenny," he laughed, hugging her back.

"Mira said you were training people yesterday! Why didn't you train me?!" she demanded bossily.

"If I had known, I certainly would've. I assumed you'd be training with the rest of your guild," Strider said.

"Ugh. If I had known, I would've ditched them! Thanks for nothing, Mira," Jenny grumbled, arms still around him.

"Sorry about that," Mira said, not sounding very sorry.

"Perhaps next time," Strider said.

"Promise?" Jenny asked.

"I promise," he nodded.

"Good," she said, resting her head against his chest. The motion drew a few glares from the others; Strider did his best to be as nonchalant as possible.

"Ugh, stop being so dramatic," Mira sighed.

"Whatever. Anyways, are you guys all ready?" Jenny wondered.

"You know it," Mira replied.

"I'm always ready," Strider mused.

"Now, I know you wouldn't hurt me," Jenny said seductively, clicking her tongue as she ran a finger down his chest.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Strider said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Jenny smiled but soon shivered as she saw a few pairs of eyes dig into her back. Turning around, she saw that Juvia, Erza, Mira, and Cana were all giving her stabbing glares.

"Crap…" she grumbled.

"About the size of it," Strider chuckled.

"Hey Jenny! Looking forward to the new issue," Bacchus said with a grin as Quatro Cerberus joined them.

"Ugh. My shoot is tomorrow," she grumbled.

"Looking forward to it?" Strider wondered.

"Barely," she grumbled.

"Shouldn't have made that bet," Mira giggled.

Mermaid Heel was next to join. Kagura smiled at Strider and Erza, approaching them alongside Millianna.

"Feeling pumped?" Strider asked.

"You know it!" Millianna cheered, clawing the air in front of her.

"I look forward to seeing your swordsmanship again," Kagura said to Erza.

"As do I," Erza said, smiling. She was excited at the prospect of fighting Kagura again.

"They're gonna be tough," Strider mused as he saw them stare each other down.

"Don't think you can take them?" Lucy wondered.

"Erza and Kagura are far better swordsman than me. Ever see how fast they move? It's almost supernatural," Strider said, brushing Anglachel's grip with a finger.

 _'Wouldn't you agree?'_ he asked his sword.

 _'Many are. None are deadlier, Númeanórean. Wield me in this battle and that shall be shown,'_ Anglachel whispered back.

 _'They're innocents,'_ Strider snarled back at it.

 _'Few are innocent. All will fall,'_ Anglachel replied.

"Your sword is pretty interesting, now that I think about it," Jenny said.

"Hmm? How so?" Strider asked, looking down at her.

"I dunno. Just…something about it, I guess," she said. She moved to touch the hilt but suddenly stopped, deciding against it.

"Is that the only one you have?" Erza wondered, eyeing it.

"I've a few more, but I'm most used to him," Strider said.

"You speak as though it's a person," Kagura mused.

"Well, we've been together so long it almost feels like a…companion," Strider said, a bit uneasy.

"I suppose I can understand that," Kagura said, stroking Archenemy's hilt.

"Where did you find your other swords?" Lucy asked interestedly.

"I went on a few treasure hunts a while back. When you look around, you tend to find something interesting. Weapons are common, but the best ones take some time to come across," Strider said.

"You were a treasure hunter?" Mira asked, surprised.

"For a while," Strider said, smiling. He enjoyed those few extraneous adventures that he went on. They removed him perfectly from everything else that was going on. "There's probably still something out there in Fiore that's left to find. Might try to go on a hunt here."

"That could be fun," Cana said, hugging him from behind. She looked around and smirked at Jenny who smirked back; Strider could almost feel the electricity they traded.

Moments later, Lamia Scale joined. Strider and Gildarts grinned as they saw the man they were raring to see again.

"Gildarts. Strider. I look forward to the fight," Jura said with a smile.

Everyone else in the large room went quiet as they looked at the three powerhouses. Strider was already a known quantity to every Wizard at this point, as well as the audience - he was loved by them all. Jura was likely even more popular than Strider - his status as a Saint and his stunning power was known to everyone in Fiore, regardless of where they lived. And then there was Gildarts, the Ace of Fairy Tail, who was held to a standard equivalent to the Saints. He was, as most understood, the most powerful wizard in the most powerful guild.

As they looked at each other, other Wizards could feel their energy trying to burst out. It sent a shiver down their backs as they began contemplating their chances of winning.

"NOOOOOOO!" Makarov suddenly yelled, turning bone white. Everyone turned to him, confused.

"What's wrong, Master?" Erza asked, worried.

"Those three…fighting…each other…" Makarov grumbled.

"We can take 'em!" Gray and Natsu said in unison, overwhelmingly confident in their chances.

"Jura, Gildarts, Strider - whatever you do, please don't destroy the city," Makarov pleaded as the three men deadpanned.

"We're not that bad, are we?" Gildarts asked.

"I don't think so…" Strider said, thinking on any significant damage he had done. "In fact, I'm pretty good about making sure not to break things.

"The city will survive…mostly," Jura chuckled.

"Guilds, please make your way to your gates," a voice said over the loudspeaker.

"Good luck," Jenny said as she gave Strider a quick kiss on the cheek and sashayed away. Strider grinned as he watched her go.

-o-

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WELCOME! The Contest to determine the Champion of Fiore is upon us! The winner today will go on to represent Fiore in Contests that will be held all across Ishgar! Whoever wins today will have the chance to go and become the CHAMPION OF ISHGAR!" Chapati roared into the microphone. The crowd cheered wildly, their stomping shaking the area.

"The contestants are filing in right now. There's Blue Pegasus, being led by Ichiya Vandalay Kotobuki, flanked by his trio, the Trimens - Ren, Eve, and Hibiki!" Chapati yelled. The group drew a loud cheer from the women in the crowd. Eve and Hibiki waved and bowed while Ren simply walked along, to cool to acknowledge anyone. "And of course, we have the beautiful Jenny Realight!"

Jenny smiled and waved, blowing kisses here and there as she took the applause she got - as loud as the initial.

"The lovely ladies of Mermaid Heel are making their way in now. Kagura Mikazuchi is not only a fan favorite, but considered to be one of the top contenders to win this tournament!" Chapati said. Whenever she had to fight, Kagura was determined to remain serious. She had a look of determination that cut through the others; resting her hand on her sword, she vowed to make her Master and Guild proud.

"The wildest guild around is making their way in. Led by Bacchus Groh, Quatro Cerberus placed dead last during the games, but he certainly made an indelible impact. I'd suggest everyone watch out for him!" Chapati said.

"Lamia Scale is definitely trending towards the top as well! With Lyon Vastia and Jura Neekis, a Wizard Saint, the other guilds certainly have their work cut out for them!" Chapati yelled. Jura, as expected, drew the loudest cheer yet. Everyone was clamoring to see him in action again.

"And of course we can't forget the fierce Sabertooth! No slouches in that guild, folks. Sting Eucliffe, the Master of Sabertooth, was given a special exemption to compete during the Contest despite his status as Master of a Guild. Accompanied by Rogue Cheney, Olga Nanagear, Rufus Lore, and Yukino Agria - they've held the title as the top guild in Fiore for five years in a row for a reason! Don't expect them to slouch!" Chapati exclaimed.

"And here's Fairy Tail! The winner of this years games! They certainly put their best foot forward this year, folks! With the addition of their newest Wizard, Str—" Chapati managed to say before he was suddenly cut off by a massive cheer. The people went wild as they saw Strider and Gildarts enter, the latter being a special treat for them.

-o-

"STRIDER! STRIDER! STRIDER!" roared the crowd.

"I LOVE YOU, STRIDER!"

"ME TOO!"

"HOLY FUCK IT'S GILDARTS!"

"HE'S STILL ALIVE?!"

-o-

"Someone's Mr. Popular," Mira giggled.

"Seems like you are as well. Perks of being a model?" Strider wondered.

"More or less," she sighed before waving at her many fans.

-o-

"Looks like all of our Wizards are finally in! Welcome, one and all, to the Contest of the Champion! Today we will be determining the strongest Wizard that Fiore has to offer - and soon, they'll be determining the strongest Wizard that Ishgar has to offer! You, Wizards, represent the best guilds in our Kingdom! Best of luck to all of you and may the best Wizard win!" Hisui said, presiding over the fight. She scanned the arena and her eyes soon fell on Strider, a light smile on her lips.

 _'Good luck, Strider,'_ she thought.

"The rules are simple! You fight until only one person is left. The Champion will win a prize of 50 million jewel, the title of Champion of Fiore, as well as the other perks that come along with the title. Second place will win 25 million jewel. And third place will receive 10 million jewel. I wish you all the best of luck. May the best Wizard win!" the princess shouted. The crowd cheered, almost drowning out the gong of the bell.

-o-

The frenzy began almost immediately. Few wasted time as they got entered the fray. The area had been considerably expanded to accommodate all the Wizards that had decided to enter the fight; and countless Rune Knights and defensive spells had been set up to make sure the fighting wouldn't spill over to the crowd.

Over the din of the fight, Strider locked eyes with Jura, who smiled at him. Their eyes traveled a bit to the side and came upon Gildarts, who returned the grin.

Strider decided to make the first move. He sent a massive telekinetic burst into the middle of the fighting which summarily stopped much of it. The burst kept going until it reached Jura who set up a rock wall - one that was more massive than any he had conjured before. Wizards and civilians alike stopped to gape at the sheer size of it. Strider was a bit surprised as well; the wall was several feet thick and rose a solid thirty feet into the air, cutting a massive swath through the arena. Several wizards that were unlucky enough to be caught in its path were sent hurtling every which way; others were scrunched against it, caught between a rock and a hard place as Strider's telekinetic burst pressed them against it. As the burst dissipated, a few of them fell unconscious.

-o-

"WILL YOU LOOK AT THE SIZE OF THAT WALL, FOLKS?! JURA'S DEFINITELY BEEN TRAINING HARD!" Chapati yelled excitedly.

-o-

Suddenly, the wall simply burst into countless pieces. Strider saw Gildarts run towards it, punching it with all his might. In a burst of white light and suddenly, it began to crumble into so many cube shaped blocks. Jura smirked as he saw what happened, he knew about Gildarts' Magic all to well. As the cubes fell, Gildarts was smacked head on with an Iron Rock Fist that launched him clear across the arena. He landed on his feet, grinning and stretching a bit. He'd waited for this moment longer than he could recall.

-o-

"I didn't expect Gildarts to be here," Jellal said.

"So that's the Ace of Fairy Tail? I think this is the first time I've ever seen him," Ultear said.

"Is he really as strong as everyone says?" Meredy asked.

"From what I understand, it's probable that he's stronger. His Magic is unfortunate since it forces him to almost constantly hold back. This is probably one of the times he can cut loose without worrying," Jellal said.

"Think he can beat Strider?" Meredy asked.

"That remains to be seen," Jellal said, although he doubted it.

-o-

"Those three…" Makarov grumbled, rubbing his temples. He wasn't sure the defensive spells would cut it.

"I think they'll be alright, Master," Bisca said.

"It's everything around them that I'm worried about," he grumbled.

"What do you think, Master Mavis?" Bisca asked.

"I think they'll be as careful as they can," she giggled, playing with Asuka. "Although I believe Gildarts might be the one who forgets, if anything. He's quite an amazing Wizard, though."

"You think so?" Bisca asked.

"Certainly. I've met very few people in my life as strong as him. He could probably be a Wizard Saint by now," Mavis said with a smile.

"If only he'd stop messing around," Makarov sighed.

-o-

Gildarts and Jura were locked in a fight with each other. Each punch or magical attack was enough to send Wizards flying. Those unlucky enough to be caught up in their attacks were deftly eliminated. Soon enough, everyone started clearing a path whenever the two got close.

Suddenly, the two powerhouses felt their bodies wrench apart, thrown back by an invisible force. Looking around, they saw Strider smiling at them. Anglachel was drawn and cut an imposing figure across the field - the darkest cut against the golden ground. Strider raised his sword and brought it down, mixing it with his telekinesis. A slash of magic cut across the field towards Jura, leaving a distinctive mark on the ground. Jura quickly brought up a rock wall, but lost control of it and Strider shot another burst of telekinesis at him, tipping the wall over. Jura broke the wall at the last second, smiling.

The Saint then launched himself at Strider - as did Gildarts at the same time.

"I gotta tell you, I've been waiting for this since Tenrou Island," Gildarts said as he got close to Strider.

"Let's see what you've got, then," Strider said.

The crowd cheered as they saw Jura and Gildarts try to take on Strider at the same time. The telekinetic barriers he set up were enough to repel Jura for the most part; however, Gildarts' Magic broke them. Strider set them up fast enough, however, that Gildarts kept punching the barriers instead of hitting him. Suddenly, Strider disappeared from both of them in a wisp of black smoke. Jura and Gildarts immediately responded by going back to back.

"WE SAW THIS DURING THE FIFTH CHALLENGE, FOLKS! STRIDER IS SIMPLY GONE!" Chapati roared.

"Smart," Strider said as he appeared and punched Gildarts square in the face. He started a kick before teleporting and finishing it on Jura. The symphony of his barrage continued as he laid into Jura and Gildarts with ease, hitting them with telekinetically-magnified blows as well as slashing them with Anglachel a few times. He made sure to keep a tight reign on the blade; he would limit his damage as much as possible.

He kept teleporting the short distance that separated them, sometimes starting and finishing his attack on one of them, sometimes starting his attack on one, finishing it on the other. His movement was quick and excited the crowd, who looked on in shock and awe.

-o-

"It's an impressive attack," Mavis mused.

"Wow! That's so cool!" Asuka said, cheering for Strider.

"And I thought Hyberion was scary sometimes," Makarov said.

"Stuck up is more like it," Mavis grumbled.

-o-

Finally, Strider stopped and walked in circles around them, smiling as he traced his sword behind him. Gildarts and Jura returned the smile, bleeding a bit but feeling their excitement rise higher and higher. Suddenly, Strider stopped. In the distance, he saw Wendy transform.

The moment was enough to give several of the Guilds pause. They looked on to see the bluenette suddenly cut a much more imposing figure, her purple hair cutting a menacing swath as she covered a distance in a flash.

"WHAT?! NO WAY! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!" Sting roared in shock. Rogue was at his side, just as stunned.

"I thought only we…" he said quietly.

"WHAT THE HELL!?" Gajeel demanded comically.

"WENDY?! WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!" Natsu said, his jaw almost hitting the floor.

"That impossible," Erza whispered, pausing to see the youngest member on her team.

With her purple eyes full of stunning determination, Wendy was monstrous in the arena. The power of her attacks was significantly amplified and she put it to good use.

"SKY DRAGON ROAR!" she roared. The attack caught nearly a dozen wizards in its wake, sending most of them flying. The ones that weren't eliminated seemed shaken and were soon taken care of by the little girl. The crowd cheered in the wake of her ferocity, while the Wizards watched, rooted to the ground.

"Jeez…Strider wasn't kidding," Cana said, mouth slightly agape. "He really did train her!"

"That's…Wendy?" Shelia asked, shocked to see her friend. Wendy was shyer than her, but she could tell that that Wendy was away for the moment; Dragon Force Wendy was something entirely different.

"Since when can she enter Dragon Force?" Laxus asked as he gave a Wizard from Twilight Ogre an uppercut, sending him flying.

"I've no clue," Freed said, impressed. He wrote a Spell on another Wizard, exploding him backwards into one of his teammates and eliminating them both. "Certainly not during the Games. I imagine Strider helped her."

"That little girl is something else," Evergreen said, smiling.

"YEAH! GO WENDY! KICK THEIR ASSES!" Gildarts roared excitedly as she eliminated two more Wizards.

"Looks like she's taking advantage of everyone's shock," Strider chuckled, looking around. Hardly anyone moved a muscle as they watched her graceful moves.

-o-

"That's amazing," Bisca said, stunned.

"She's always been impressive," Makarov said proudly.

"Gajeel, Laxus, and Natsu certainly have a lot of work ahead of them. Wendy just outpaced them all," Mavis said, smiling wide. She knew that Natsu had entered Dragon Force once; however, he still lacked the ability to do so as he wished.

"YAY WENDY!" Asuka cheered for her friend. Wendy paused her attacks to look in the direction of the little girl and waved.

-o-

"FOLKS, WENDY MARVELL IS SHOWING US WHAT A DRAGON SLAYER AT WORK LOOKS LIKE! I'VE NEVER SEEN HER SO FIRED UP - LOOK AT THAT! SHE'S ELIMINATED NEARLY A TENTH OF THE COMPETITORS BY HERSELF!" Chapati roared.

-o-

Suddenly, a burst of black wind headed towards Wendy, catching her off guard. She narrowly avoided the attack, looking for the source. She smiled as she saw Shelia.

"Good luck, Wendy!" Shelia said, black wind dancing around her.

"You too, Shelia," Wendy replied happily. The crowd cheered louder as the two cut into each other.

"She is something else," Gildarts said happily.

"Indeed," Jura said, smiling. He had been fond of the Dragon Slayer since she joined them against the Oracion Seis, and it was obvious to him now just how powerful she had gotten.

Suddenly, cards flew over the two Wizards before launching at them in a circular formation. Neither had time to react before they suddenly exploded. As the smoke cleared, both were unscathed but had their clothes torn a bit.

Cana's eyes were full of determination as they locked in on Gildarts, who smiled a bit. As much as he wanted to fight Strider, this was the reason he came back as quick as he could. Throughout the match, he had been watching Cana's performance out of the corner of his eye. She was deft in her movements, easily able to send up cards as barriers and quickly shoot through them in attack formation. She had notched several eliminations already and was none the worse for it. Flanking her were two beautiful women; one's hand crackled with electricity while the other had fire dancing around her. The two kept most attacks at bay, breaking off here and there to easily knock an inattentive Wizard around.

"If you'll excuse me," Gildarts said, taking his leave of Jura and Strider. They let him go before continuing to survey the battlefield.

-o-

"Round Two's gonna be different, Natsu," Sting said, grinning as he put up his fists. Natsu grinned back at him before leaping, his fist encircled with flame. The two collided hard, sending out a shockwave that tripped a few Wizards.

Seeing an advantage, Rogue quickly notched a few eliminations for himself before suddenly rocketing back. Gajeel grinned as he looked at him, cracking his knuckles.

"Can't wait to see what you did to train," he said menacingly. Rogue melded into the shadows and lunged at Gajeel, who put his arms up in defense. As Rogue launched at him, Gajeel let him connect before suddenly grabbing onto him and throwing him aside. Rogue landed deftly on his feet, carefully considering his strategy.

-o-

"NO! NOT THE FACE!" Hibiki placed as Mira smiled. She complied and opted to kick him hard in the stomach instead, her Demonic foot reaching deep.

"Aerial Phoze!" Ren shouted.

"White Fang!" Eve chimed in. Mira stood in place, easily withstanding the two attacks with ease. She suddenly rushed both of them, eliciting them without trouble.

"Oh, no! Renny!" Sherry cried before locking into a fight with Mira.

-o-

Erza and Kagura were off to the side, battling fiercely. Absolutely no one wanted to come close enough to accidentally have their heads lopped off; most all the Wizards opted to stay clear out of their way.

The two warriors smiled as they laid into each other. This time around they were able to focus on giving the other the time of their life, just for the fun of it.

"Your training seems to have paid off," Erza said as they both launched back for a moment to catch their breaths.

"As has yours. It's impressive that you've improved so much in just a couple of days," Kagura said.

-o-

Jet and Droy went flying as Araña and Risley knocked them out. The two ladies were set upon by Levy who took great advantage of their momentary respite.

"Iron!" Levy wrote in the air in front of her. Two iron blocks fell, Araña was crushed under one.

"Gravity Change!" Risley yelled. She tossed the iron block out of her area of effect like it was a feather.

"Impressive," Levy said as Risley grinned her thanks in response.

-o-

"Ice Make: Eagle!" Lyon yelled, sending his attack at Gray. Gray effectively dodged it before cutting a path towards Lyon with his Ice Bringer.

"Looks like you've been training," Lyon mused.

"You bet. I kicked Flame-Brain's ass yesterday, and now it's your turn," Gray grinned.

"Please. I know all your tricks, Gray. And once I beat you, Juv—" Lyon began before the two Ice Make Wizards were suddenly launched back by Juvia, who strode towards them menacingly.

"No one shall take me away from my beloved," she said, launching attack after attack at Gray and Lyon. The two were put on the defensive; Juvia was enough to give them a lot of trouble.

"This isn't gonna be easy…" Gray grumbled, thinking back to his first encounter with Juvia. He knew better than to doubt her threat level.

-o-

"Think Gray's got this?" Meredy wondered.

"I think he might," Ultear said. "What about you?"

"Juvia is really strong. I think she might eliminate Lyon at least," Meredy said, smiling.

-o-

Evergreen and Elfman were fighting off several Wizards side by side. Evergreen's grace meshed well with Elfman's brute force.

"Watch where you're aiming, you oaf!" Evergreen yelled as Elfman almost hit her with an attack.

"Me?! Watch where you're going!" He retorted.

"It's not my fault you're too brutish to even looking where you're attacking!" She replied.

"Ugh…" Elfman grumbled. He was about to launch another attack before he suddenly stopped himself. Lisanna looked at him, smiling.

"Lisanna? What're you doing?" He asked, blinking.

"I want to see how strong I've gotten. No better way to see what taking on my Big Bro," she said.

"I…I can't do that," Elfman said, feeling his heart beat faster. Lisanna smiled, knowing what was going through his mind.

"It's alright, Elf," Lisanna said softly. "There's no reason to be scared anymore. I'm fine, see? Besides, I've gotten a lot stronger. I'd be more worried about you losing!"

"I…" Elfman began again.

"Just do it," Evergreen said softly.

"What?" Elfman asked, surprised.

"You're going to have to get over it eventually. I know you're sorry for what happened, but like Lisanna said, she's fine now. The only person who's ever blamed you is yourself. Now get over it and fight!" she yelled, shoving him forward. Elfman gulped as he put his hands up. Lisanna shifted into her Cat Soul and smiled as she leaped at Elfman. He was surprised by the speed and ferocity of the attack and narrowly avoided it.

Meanwhile, Evergreen kept her attacks up on other Wizards. Anyone that got to close to the siblings, she took care of immediately. Seeing her, Bixlow went over to help.

-o-

Mira's Satan Soul continued to wreak havoc. In hardly anytime at all, she had eliminated Risley, who was fighting Levy; Macao and Wakaba, who complained humorously about the friendly fire; and Millianna, who grumbled that she didn't get a chance to fight Erza or Kagura.

As she paused, she narrowly avoided Yukino, who had summoned Libra and Pisces to attack her. Mira smiled as she saw the look of determination in Yukino's eyes.

"You sure about this?" She asked in her demonic drawl.

"I am," Yukino nodded. "Libra, go!"

Libra was swift as she covered the distance between them, launching a powerful kick at Mira. She simply brought her arms up, easily deflecting it before launching several black spheres at the Celestial Spirit. Libra was soon on the defensive, finally ending up where she started. Yukino clenched her teeth; she knew that Mira wouldn't go down easily.

-o-

"Been a long time since we really fought, huh, Ever?" Bixlow asked with a grin as he and Evergreen both paused, breathing heavily. Combined, they had eliminated many Wizards that hoped to take advantage of the two siblings' ongoing battle.

"A very long time. Training just wasn't the same," Evergreen said, smirking as she prepared to attack.

"Let's see who's gotten better, huh?" Bixlow asked, summoning his Tiki dolls.

"Just don't go crying to Laxus after I beat you! Fairy Machine Gun!" she yelled. Countless bullets launched towards Bixlow, colliding with the Tiki doll barrier he set up.

-o-

"So…beautiful…" Lyon said weakly as he was finally eliminated by Juvia. She had decided on focusing her attacks mostly on Lyon while defending as best as she could against Gray, who kept trying to penetrate her defense. Juvia, taking a leaf from Strider's book, had focused on setting up a continuous barrier of water that she could raise and lower at will. It was enough to either stop Gray's attacks; or when it froze, it was easy enough to conjure again.

"You're getting tired," Gray said, noticing her heavy breathing.

"It's nothing," she said.

"If you say so. ICE BRINGER!" Gray shouted, launching towards her. Instead of setting up a barrier, Juvia deftly dodged the attack instead.

 _'She can't keep this up for much longer,'_ Gray said, continuing his attacks on her. Finally, after so many attacks, he landed one. Juvia began to hurtle to the ground before she suddenly stopped. Looking up, she saw Strider smiling down at her.

"Impressive fight," he said.

"My love…" she whispered, caressing his cheek.

"Get some rest, Juvia. You did a great job," Strider whispered. Juvia smiled before finally passing out, drained.

As Strider stood up and looked at Gray, he saw the Ice Wizard looking at him with solid determination.

"You ready to go?"

-o-

"THUNDER DRAGON ROAR!" Laxus yelled. Olga was encompassed in the lightning. With a grin on his face, he finally fell back. He'd had an exciting fight against Laxus, but knew that he was outmatched - at least for now.

"Impressive," Rufus said as he engaged Laxus immediately after, sending a Thunder Dragon Roar back at him. Laxus was unable to eat it as it was his own attack; the attack buffeted him backwards.

"This is gonna be annoying," Laxus grumbled as he got back up.

-o-

"Looks like you trained pretty hard," Natsu said, wiping away some blood.

"Same for you," Sting said, grinning. He had activated his Dragon Force by now, as had Rogue.

"Doesn't matter, though! I'm gonna win this!" Natsu shouted, leveling his fist against Sting. The White Dragon Slayer matched it. The shockwave caught a few other Wizards in its attack, knocking them out. Still, the two Dragon Slayers stood staunchly opposed to the other.

"HA! As if!" Sting said, laying into Natsu once more.

-o-

"Not bad, baby girl," Gildarts said as he shrugged off some more attacks from Cana. She had been unrelenting in her assault against him. Gildarts was ecstatic to see how much stronger she had gotten. Despite knowing the outcome of the fight from the onset, he still wanted her to try her best.

Cana quickly found out why her father was the Ace of Fairy Tail. Each attack seemed to do almost no damage. She had managed to destroy his cloak as well reduce his clothing to tatters and inflict some marks, but he still stood resolute against her. She knew that the odds were against her, however, she was enjoying the fight. Soon, she stopped, breathing heavily.

"I'm so proud of you," Gildarts said, smiling at his daughter.

"Thanks, Dad," she said, returning the smile.

"Remember to keep training. You'll beat me in no time," he said.

"Yeah…we'll see," she replied.

Finally, Gildarts ended the match with a powerful blast that sent Cana flying. Strider, sensing the attack, quickly excused himself from his fight with Gray and caught Cana as she flew through the air. She smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek as thanks.

"Beyond excellent," he said as she teleported back to the Fairy Tail dugout.

"Thanks for what you taught her," Gildarts said, smiling at Strider who nodded in return and smiled back. He moved back to Gray, who was thankful for the short respite.

"Don't think I'm gonna go down easy," Gray said, getting in close and launching several attacks at Strider in quick succession.

"Wouldn't dream of it. You're no slouch, Gray," Strider said.

"Damn right I'm not," Gray said, grinning as he suddenly curved his arms up and landed an attack on Strider. Strider launched back, breaking some of the ice off and quickly letting go.

"That's really cold," he said, surprised that his hand was tingling.

"A special ice blend just for you," Gray said.

"I'm honored," Strider grinned.

-o-

"You did good," Elfman said as he finally knocked Lisanna out. He was surprised by how strong she had become. Her agility far exceeded his; overtime he attacked, she managed to evade with stunning grace. While he only needed a few attacks to finally knock her out, they left him winded. Lisanna smiled as she teleported back to the dugout.

Looking over, Elfman saw that Evergreen had just beaten Bixlow. She expended a significant amount of Magic in the fight; she was breathing heavily, seemingly ready to fall soon as well.

Suddenly, both were blitzed by another figure. Mira smiled as she attacked both of them, having finished with Yukino. She was still in her Satan Soul and, obvious to Mira and Evergreen, barely tired.

"Oh crap…" Elfman said in a small voice.

"Got that right," Mira smirked before rushing them. The two were unable to put up a fight; they were deftly eliminated.

-o-

"Good effort," Strider said as he finally knocked Gray out.

"Yeah…thanks," Gray said, panting. Looking over, he saw that Strider was heading towards Erza and Kagura. He grinned, knowing that he put up a good fight.

 _'Watch out, Strider. This isn't over yet. I'm definitely gonna kick your ass someday,'_ Gray thought.

-o-

As Strider approached Kagura and Erza, they stopped their fight. He could see they were both panting heavily. Since the match began, they had focused exclusively on each other. And while countless other Wizards were out by now, the two were resolute in their battle.

"Hope you girls don't mind me joining in," Strider said, brandishing Anglachel, priming his telekinesis.

"I need you to buy me some time…" Erza whispered to Kagura.

"Right," she nodded. Kagura rushed Strider, who launched locked blades with her. As with the training, Strider was quickly on the defensive.

-o-

"Look at that, folks! Strider is being pushed by Kagura Mikazuchi!" Chapati yelled. The crowd cheered loudly for Kagura.

-o-

"I thought he'd be able to take her pretty easily," Lisanna said, nursing some bruises.

"Strider is a stronger Wizard than her, but Kagura's swordsmanship is far more refined than him. Her speed and litheness far outclassed his. If this battle was based purely on swordsmanship, I've no doubt Kagura would beat him," Mavis said.

"You think so, First Master?" Romeo wondered.

"Certainly. Strider's strongest point is his Magic. While he's above average as a swordsman, there are at least two examples of better ones on the field. When he uses his Magic, however, it's another story," Mavis said.

-o-

Strider knocked Kagura back with his telekinesis, wondering how to best handle her.

 _'You rely to heavily on your Magic, Númenórean,'_ Anglachel whispered in his mind. _'Were this a battle of swords, she would've slaughtered you by now. We shall address your training after this ordeal.'_

 _'What, you're going to train me?'_ Strider scoffed.

 _'You've lacked training your swordsmanship for years now! It is not enough to be able to slaughter; you must be able to slaughter effectively,'_ Anglachel said.

Strider sighed, his eyes drifting to Erza. He noticed that she had begun summoning countless swords like she did during the Day Three's event. She had summoned close to 150 before launching them at Strider. At the same time, Kagura rushed him again. Strider focused on Kagura while the swords simply stopped coming towards him. Erza was surprised; she was sure that at least one would've found its way through. However, the distraction didn't seem to effect him.

The swords suddenly split into multiple groups. Several launched at both Kagura and Erza, who managed to evade some but were hit by some nonetheless. The remaining swords flew around the arena, interrupting several battles. The contestants thinned out even further, leaving less than a quarter of the original amount.

Kagura and Erza attempted to get up but were unable to. They smiled as Strider approached them.

"It seems we still have our training cut out for us," Erza said.

"You'll get there. I'm just glad this wasn't purely a sword fighting contest," Strider said earnestly.

"Win this for us," Erza said softly.

"Your wish is my command," he said, bowing slightly to them before taking his leave.

-o-

"Jura," Gildarts said, approaching him again.

"Gildarts. As much as I've wanted to fight Strider, I've wanted to try my hand at the Ace of Fairy Tail just as much. One on one," Jura replied. Gildarts nodded. Jura launched a wall at him, which Gildarts crushed easily. The two closed the distance between each other as they locked their hands. The earth around them began to shatter, shaking the entire arena..

"Ladies and gentlemen, Jura and Gildarts are locked in battle and it might just go through the arena!" Chapati said. The crowd erupted into a cheer as they looked on.

-o-

As Mira turned around, she found that she was staring down Levy, Freed, Bacchus, and Ichiya. Of all the contestants, Mira seemed to be the one least troubled by the battle. She hardly had a scratch on her and her breathing was even and light.

"I don't quite get it," Freed suddenly said.

"What's that?" Mira wondered.

"You removed yourself from the fighting for years. How are you still so able?" he wondered.

"Never ask a woman her ways," Mira smirked.

"Sorry, Mira," Levy apologized as she teamed up against her. Mira shook her head, smiling at the girl. She had no problem kicking Ichiya, Bacchus, and Freed's asses up and down the arena, but she liked Levy.

Suddenly a hole opened under Levy. She fell through, landing with a thud.

"Is this acceptable, Princess?" Virgo asked Lucy.

"Lucy?! I didn't even know you were here!" Freed said comically. Lucy glared daggers at him before exasperating.

"Virgo! You were supposed to attack Freed, not Levy!" Lucy whined as she apologized to Levy, who was knocked out.

"It's fine…Lu," Levy said comically.

The four stared at Mira, who just giggled. She soon stopped, however, as Rogue and Sting entered the fray. Their fights against Gajeel and Natsu had been interrupted after Rogue had accidentally sent Gajeel flying into Natsu. The Fire Dragon Slayer, of course, could not let that slide. Looking back, they saw the Iron and Fire Dragon Slayers destroying the arena with their most powerful attacks, grinning as they lay into the other.

"Six on one? Not very fair," Mira said, although she didn't sound to concerned.

"I agree. Might as well make it fair," Strider said as he came on over.

"Man…now this is unfair!" Ichiya said dramatically.

"I dunno about that. Could be fun," Bacchus grinned.

"You're the only one that thinks that," Rogue sighed.

"How about three on six!" Jenny suddenly interjected, finally entering the fight and surprising everyone, even Strider.

"No fair. He's like an army of one!" Lucy comically whined, pointing at Strider.

"Strider! They were mean to me!" Jenny complained, hugging him as she pointed at the men across from them.

"That's a lie!" Freed shouted.

"Now, that won't do," Strider said in a mock threatening voice.

"…Man," Ichiya said.

"Not going down without a fight!" Sting yelled, leaping at Strider. Strider was about to react when Mira suddenly zipped past him, knocking Sting back. She suddenly swirled around and cut towards Ichiya and Bacchus who had no time to respond. They were easily eliminated. The attack put Sting and Rogue on defensive; while they knew that Mira was known as the She-Devil, they hadn't seen enough of her to get a gauge on her strength.

"Guess you're more than a pretty face, huh?" Sting asked.

"Much more," Mira answered, her tail smashing on the ground. "Careful. I wouldn't want to scratch up that pretty face either."

"I wouldn't antagonize her, Sting," Rogue said.

"Yeah…I got that," Sting grumbled.

Freed transformed into his dark metallic armor, staring at Mira.

"Round two?" she wondered.

"Yes," Freed nodded. The two took to the air, clashing against each other with ferocity.

"You guys got a plan?" Lucy asked Sting and Rogue.

"Wing it!" they both shouted in unison. Lucy deadpanned and quickly hopped back, knowing where this would go.

Despite being in their Dragon Force mode, they had both sustained severe damage throughout the fight. Strider grabbed Sting as he approached and drove him headfirst into the ground - hard - before telekinetically smashing Rogue down as well. Rogue attempted to become a shadow but found himself unable to.

"If it exists, I can control it," Strider reminded him, driving him further into the ground. Finally, Rogue passed out after all the pressure he had applied.

-o-

"Damn it," Sting grumbled as he joined his teammates again.

"You okay, Rogue?" Yukino asked worriedly.

"Yes, thank you," Rogue sighed.

"It appears that for our next training session, we should approach Strider," Rufus said.

"You gotta be kidding," Olga said.

"Not at all. He seems to be open to helping people. It's evident that if we wish to ever beat him, we'd have to learn more about him as well. No better way than training," Rufus said.

"We might have an opportunity during the Guild Exchange coming up," Yukino said.

"Yes, I was thinking the same thing," Rufus nodded.

-o-

"Don't worry Princess, I'll protect you. With a dance!" Virgo said as he jumped in front of Lucy, doing a dance for Strider. He patiently waited for her to stop before politely clapping.

"Wait, you mean you enjoyed that?" Lucy deadpanned.

"Of course. That was marvelous, Virgo," Strider said, complimenting the Celestial Spirit.

"Why thank you, Master Strider," Virgo said with a bow.

"Master?" Mira deadpanned as she joined them again, having finished with a tired Freed.

"Would you like to punish me, Master Strider?" Virgo asked, curious.

"Virgo!" Lucy yelled, going red. Mira just giggled at the forward nature of the spirit.

"How would you like to be punished, Virgo?" Strider asked, amused.

"However you wish," Virgo replied.

"Hmm…Lucy? What do you think?" He wondered.

"Oh my gosh, don't involve me in this," Lucy whined, turning redder.

"Let's see. How about…this?" Strider suggested, aiming his hand at Virgo and shooting a telekinetic burst at her. Virgo's head went back and she kept that position for a while before shooting back upright, squirming in ecstasy.

"What just happened?" Lucy asked, wide eyed.

"That…was…amazing!" the spirit exclaimed giddily.

"Glad I could help, Virgo," Strider said.

"That's it for me, Princess. I'll see you and Master Strider later," Virgo said, red from the feeling Strider sent through her.

"What exactly did you do?" Lucy wondered.

"Punished her, apparently," Strider said, grinning.

Lucy suddenly felt a kick connect with her. Jenny lept and kicked her square across the jaw, knocking her out.

"Oweeee," Lucy said comically as she went flying.

"I did it!" Jenny squealed in delight, happy that she eliminated someone. The joy was over quickly as Mira sent Jenny flying.

"Should've seen that coming," Jenny lamented. Strider managed to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Like I said during the Final Event, I'm happy to catch you," he said, smiling. She smiled in return and gave him a kiss on the cheek before teleporting back to her team. Strider finally looked at Mira, who smirked.

"Hey," he said, smiling.

"Hi there," she giggled. "Having fun?"

"More than I thought I would, to be honest. You?" Strider asked.

"Same. Maybe not as much fun as-" she broke off, clicking her tongue and licking her lips.

"I agree with that," he grinned. "Maybe later."

"Definitely. But, you seem to still be pretty upbeat. I think I'll let you tire yourself out a bit more," Mira said, quickly zooming out to find other prey.

-o-

Strider observed who was left. Mira was flying around, quickly swooping in eliminating people. Gajeel and Natsu were tiring each out close by. Jura and Gildarts had their own portion of the arena to themselves where they could wreak havoc as they wanted. Wendy, like Mira, was quickly eliminating others.

Suddenly, Wendy locked in on Mira. She sent a powerful Sky Dragon Roar that took the beautiful She-Demon by surprise. Mira quickly landed, her eyes locked on the Dragon Slayer.

"You've done really well, Wendy," she said kindly.

"Thanks, Mira. Sorry about that," Wendy answered.

"Don't worry about it. Figured it'd come sooner or later. I'm not going to go easy on you, though," Mira said.

"Me neither!" Wendy shouted, launching herself at Mira at an intense speed. Mira deftly dodged and hit Wendy with her tail. The tiny Dragon Slayer brushed it off and launched at Mira again, bombarding her with punches and kicks that came at an astonishing speed. Mira quickly disengaged from the fight and and changed into a different Satan Soul, Sitri. She would have to use much more power if she wanted to win this.

-o-

"Holy crap, Wendy's taking on Mira!" Elfman shouted in shock.

"I don't know who to cheer for," Lisanna whined.

"That little girl is something else," Cana said, smiling as she watched Wendy go to work. Even in her Sitri Soul, Wendy was giving Mira a hard time.

"Who do you think is gonna win?" Bisca wondered.

"Dunno. Could go either way, honestly," Lucy said, deciding to cheer for Wendy.

"Erza? You know Mira best," Bisca said.

"I'm afraid I'm not sure either," Erza said, smiling. "Wendy's certainly a lot stronger than I apparently thought and she seems to still have enough energy to give Mira a hard run. But Mira's known as the She Devil for a reason."

-o-

"I…am gonna…kick…your ass," Gajeel sighed as he punched Natsu across the face. Natsu grinned as he stumbled back, spitting out some blood.

"Not…if I…kick…yours first," Natsu replied, punching Gajeel right back. The two had slowed down considerably, hardly able to move. They had expended much of their Magic by now, reminiscent of their first fight. Their clothes were in tatters and they relied on the last of their adrenaline to push them through.

"I'm impressed," Strider said as he come up on them from the side.

"Strider! Wait…your turn. I'll be…right with ya'," Natsu said, grinning.

"Ha! Wait for me. Salamander is…just about…done," Gajeel grinned as well, landing another hit on Natsu. Natsu tumbled backwards, Gajeel falling on top of him. He got off to the side, breathing heavily.

"I won that," Gajeel said.

"What?! As if! I…beat you," Natsu said.

"You…fell first! I win! End…of story!" Gajeel answered.

"Like…hell," Natsu said, trying to get back to his feet. Gajeel followed. As the crowd saw them, they cheered even louder. The two were putting on another great effort, both refusing to end it. Smiling, Strider withdrew from the fight. Looking askance, he saw that Laxus was looking at him with a smirk. Strider rushed over to the Lightning Dragon Slayer, who put up his fists.

"Been waiting for this for a while now," Laxus smirked. "One on one."

"Ready?" Strider wondered.

"Born ready," Laxus said. He sent a powerful burst of lightning at Strider, following up with bombarding the area around him. Strider was hit by a few bolts, but was otherwise unscathed.

 _'Looks like his attack got faster,'_ Strider thought, impressed.

"I figured there's one way to beat you," Laxus said.

"Oh? What's that?" Strider wondered.

"I need to be able to hit you faster than you can think about deflecting it," Laxus said. Strider smiled and nodded.

"That's one way. But there's a problem with your theory," Strider said.

"What's that?" Laxus asked, gearing up to attack again. He brought his hands up, but suddenly found himself unable to move them. With that, he was unable to attack.

"The problem that every Wizard in Fiore seems to face," Strider mused. "Your attacks require you to call them. Either verbally or using your body in a certain way - in this case, your arms and hands. I can stop you from moving which stops you from attacking. What will you do now?"

"…Fuck," Laxus grumbled. He hadn't ever given any thought to what Strider said. Using his Magic how he did was second nature to him. But as he found his body locked up, he saw the devastating effect not being able to use his Magic when he most needed it could have.

"Don't worry about it to much for now," Strider said with a small smile. "Every land I've visited that has Wizards has the same problem. Because everyone needs to call their attack, it's not a big problem - everyone's on even terms. But when you can't call it - that's when you really notice your limitations."

"Any advice on that?" Laxus asked, trying to break free. Unfortunately, it was no use - his body refused to react.

"I'll see if I can think of some lessons. Until then, just thinking about it. Theory is as important as application," Strider said before turning his fingers down. Laxus crashed into the ground, cratering it before his body went back to join the others.

-o-

"Damn it," Laxus growled.

"More than you could handle?" Makarov wondered.

"Way more. For now, though," Laxus said.

"You've something to strive for, at least. That's something," Mavis said, smiling.

-o-

Mira and Wendy were both finally beginning to show signs of wearing out. They were amongst the last remaining. Strider had gone around eliminating any stragglers that were still looking for a fight. Jura and Gildarts were now fighting Gajeel and Natsu respectively.

-o-

"You've grown, Natsu," Gildarts said, smiling. Natsu seemed to have regained some of his energy and had shifted into Lighting Flame Dragon Mode. He knew he didn't have long in it - it took far to much power to sustain - but was resolved to give it his all.

"Thanks, Gildarts," Natsu said, grinning as he landed an overhead kick on him. "Better keep up! I'm not down yet!"

"I can see that," Gildarts said, feeling the same rush of pride for Natsu that he did for Cana. "You might still have a long way to go, but I have a feeling you'll get there soon."

"Better not be going easy on me!" Natsu said as he landed on his feet, panting heavily. Though he wouldn't admit, he was close to falling. The opponents were varied and he had expended himself heavily against them all.

"Wouldn't dream of it, kid," Gildarts grinning. Natsu launched a Fire Dragon Roar at Gildarts, who met it head on, punching it. The punch kept going and going until it finally reached Natsu. In a flash of bright light, Natsu was finally laying on the ground, eyes barely open. Still, Gildarts saw he was grinning.

"Next time…Gildarts," he said.

"Ha. Definitely, Natsu," Gildarts said happily. He was sure that one of these days, the day would indeed come.

-o-

"I'm impressed," Jura said as he waited for Gajeel to get up.

"Yeah? 'Bout what?" Gajeel asked, gritting his teeth. In his match against Jura, he learned what it meant to be a Wizard Saint. While he had overcome difficult obstacles before, Jura was something entirely different. He was monstrous in the absolute sense of the word. Facing him was like facing a giant monolith, imposing and immovable.

"Your skill and strength. I can see why Makarov is proud to have you in his Guild. I've no doubt you'll continue to get stronger," Jura said.

"Heh. Don't talk you've won just yet. I still got some fight left in me," Gajeel said, grinning.

"Yes, I can see that. Very well," Jura said, smiling. He finished their short bout with a well placed Iron Rock Fist. "Well done indeed, Gajeel."

As Gajeel was teleported back to the dugout, he couldn't help but grin at the praise.

-o-

"You two alright?" Lisanna asked Natsu worriedly while Levy quickly helped prop Gajeel up.

"Yeah. I'm good," Natsu said in a pained voice.

"I'm fine, blue," Gajeel said, appreciative nonetheless.

"Splendid job, you two. I'm proud Fairy Tail has such fantastic members," Mavis said brightly. The two Dragon Slayers couldn't help but grin wider than they were at the praise from the First Master.

"Just Jura, Gildarts, Mira, Wendy, and Strider are left," Makarov said.

-o-

"You've grown so much, Wendy," Mira said, smiling.

"Thanks, Mira," Wendy said. She was happy to be squaring off against such a powerful opponent.

-o-

"I imagined that Strider would be the most impressive in the tournament, but I think Wendy might have eclipsed him," Makarov said, inspired by her showing.

"Go, Wendy! Win it for Fairy Tail!" Mavis exclaimed cheerfully.

"YAY WENDY! YOU CAN DO IT! GO GO GO!" Asuka cheered adorably.

"She's almost as scary as Mira now," Lucy said.

"She's certainly standing taller than anyone else," Erza said proudly. She saw a bit of herself in the little girl; and she still had a long time to grow even greater.

"What a man," Elfman said, flinching as Evergreen slapped him.

"She's a woman!" the Fairy Wizard corrected him.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised if she makes it to S-Class next year," Lisanna said.

"Hell, she might just become the youngest S-Class we've ever had," Laxus said approvingly.

"Go Wendy!" Carla cheered. Wendy paused to wave back at her happily.

"Kick their butts, Wendy!" Happy yelled.

"HEY! You didn't cheer for me!" Natsu said comically.

"Go, Wendy!" Happy cheered again as Natsu deadpanned.

"You can do it, Wendy!" Lily exclaimed.

"WHAT?! WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED THAT, FURBALL?!" Gajeel yelped just as shocked.

"What? She's beaten more people than all of you Dragon Slayers combined!" Lily told him. Natsu and Gajeel turned red in embarrassment.

-o-

"You can do it, Wendy!" Lector yelled.

"Hey! You're supposed to be my partner!" Sting chided him.

"Yeah, but she's totally kicking everyone's butt out there! She beat more people than you, Sting!" Lector yelled back.

"Come on, Wendy! Sorry, Rouge!" Frosche exclaimed, dancing adorably as Rogue cried comically.

-o-

Mira was rocketed back by another well placed attack from Wendy. Hitting a hard surface, she saw that it was Strider. He helped her back to her feet, smiling as he saw Wendy levitating before them.

"You really taught her a lot in one day," Mira said.

"I barely did a thing. This is all her," Strider said, his voice brimming with pride. Mira smiled, giving him a moment…before suddenly landing an attack on him. Strider was knocked back a bit, bewildered.

"Sorry," Mira said earnestly. "I figured that it'd be hard to get a hit on you otherwise."

"That hurt," Strider grumbled, nursing his cheek. "Well, thanks for not hitting my shoulder at least."

"I'm not that cruel," Mira said seriously. Whatever the circumstance, she wouldn't want to strike him in a way that she knew would be mind-numbingly painful.

"Thanks nonetheless," Strider said. "Still, I suppose it's time we end this."

"And here I was hoping you'd wear yourself out," Mira sighed.

"This isn't even the longest fight I've been in," Strider said with a slightly wild grin. Mira had never seen him look like that before, and it made her slightly uneasy. She saw him as someone who didn't mind fighting, but wouldn't seek out a fight. However, as he stood before her, he looked like someone different. His black hair whipped around in the wind, which had just picked up, his cloak billowing behind him. His eyes were trained on her, full of passion but glinting with something else. She saw his sword repel all light that attempted to touch it, vicious and menacing as it yearned for a fight. Through it all, she could feel the power that radiated outward from him. It was something that she could sense was always there, but hadn't ever paid attention to before. But now, staring each other down and ready to spring, she could see why other warriors should fear Strider.

His imposing figure, his radiating power, his black blade, and his cutting look. It all came together to form someone made for fighting. Mira gulped as she knew what was coming.

She felt her body seize up.

"DRAGON SLAYER SECRET ART: SHATTERING LIGHT: SKY DRILL!" Wendy yelled, sending the attack at Mira. It connected head on; at the same time, Strider applied some more telekinetic pressure to Mira. As the smoke disappeared, she was back to her usual form, smiling weakly. He caught her as she began to fall.

"Sorry about that," Strider whispered, gently brushing some hair from her face. Looking up, she saw the pained look on his face. She shook her head, gently caressing his cheek.

"Don't be. I'm not even that hurt," she said. "Just a bit tired. Guess I wore myself out more than I thought. Need to get back to training."

"Get some rest," he whispered.

"Mhm. Win it, okay?" She asked.

"Your wish is my command," he said, smiling. Mira returned it before leaning up and giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. The crowd cheered in response.

-o-

"Mira…" Juvia glowered as Mira appeared.

"Wo-o-ah, let's save it until after she's better," Cana said, quickly moving in to hold the Water Wizard back. Lisanna followed, giggling.

-o-

"Wendy," Strider said as the Dragon Slayer landed down, just a few meters from him.

"Hey, Strider. What do you think?" Wendy asked tentatively.

"I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am," Strider said. Wendy's smile widened as she saw the look in his eye; she could tell he meant it. To her, it was like hear the praise of a big brother.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Not at all. However this ends, I don't think anything is going to change the fact that you certainly had the most impact," Strider said. He had tracked her progress throughout; no one was as ferocious as the tiny Dragon Slayer.

-o-

"FOLKS, WE ARE DOWN TO THE TOP FOUR! STRIDER, JURA, AND GILDARTS - I DON'T THINK THAT'S A SURPRISE. BUT WENDY MARVELL?! THAT SURE IS A SURPRISE!" Chapati roared. The crowd cheered their loudest yet for the Dragon Slayer. Strider laughed as he saw her blush a bit.

-o-

"Wendy made it to the top four. That's amazing," Erza said happily, surprised at how well she did.

"Regardless of who actually wins this, I'd definitely say she has won the respect of every Wizard here," Evergreen said, smiling. The others nodded in unison.

-o-

Jura and Gildarts both approached Strider and Wendy, beaming at the young girl. She saw the respect and pride in their eyes as they smiled and bowed to her.

Suddenly, Strider noted that Wendy's breathing was growing more and more laborious. It had been hours since the fight started. Since she had only learned how to use Dragon Force a short while ago, he saw that it was beginning to take its toll on the girl. He saw her waver and suddenly rushed over, fear gripping his heart tight.

"Wendy! Are you okay?!" he asked as he caught her, worried.

"Yeah…just tired," she said, smiling at him. Instantly, the effects of her Dragon Force wore off. Her eyes went black to their blue color, as did her hair.

-o-

"Wendy…" Carla said, worried.

"Someone get Porlyusica, quickly!" Makarov barked. Jet immediately sped off.

-o-

"Is she okay?" Frosche asked, starting to tear up.

"Of course. She's just tired, Frosche," Rogue said, comforting his friend.

-o-

"You were amazing. You have no idea how proud everyone is of you. Of all the Dragon Slayers, you were the last one standing," he said, smiling.

"They were going easy on me," Wendy said softly.

"No one was going easy on you. If anything, I think you might have been too hard on them," Strider chuckled. Wendy smiled, her eyes fluttering open and closed.

"Strider?" she asked, her eyelids finally setting closed.

"Yeah, Wendy?" Strider asked softly.

"Is it okay if I go to sleep for a bit?" she asked, resting her head softly on his shoulder.

"Sure. I'll take you to the Guild," he said. Softly, she nodded, happy and content. A second later, she was out cold - the Dragon Force taking its toll. Strider gently carried her over to Fairy Tail, where Porlyusica was waiting anxiously.

"She's really tired and needs rest," Strider said softly as he gently handed her to Porlyusica. Wendy was still smiling as she breathed peacefully. The others looked on happily and proudly at the warm scene.

-o-

"With that ABSOLUTELY AMAZING showing by Wendy Marvell, folks, we are down to three - Jura Neekis, Gildarts Clive, and Strider," Chapati said, wiping his tears.

-o-

"We should be glad she's not awake to kick our asses," Gildarts said.

"Indeed. That was absolutely splendid," Jura agreed.

"No doubt about it," Strider chimed in. Finally, the three men set their sights on each other.

"Looks like it's just us," Gildarts said. Suddenly, like it was on Tenrou Island, Gildarts power erupted. The arena began to shake and the skies started to darken as if in fear. The people quieted down, looking on in awe.

-o-

"What's wrong, Natsu?" Lisanna asked.

"This is how Gildarts beat me on Tenrou Island," he said. Everyone watched carefully.

-o-

Jura clasped his hands together; a white light began to erupt from him as well as it did when he attacked the MPF.

"No more holding back," Jura said, a determined look on his face.

Strider rolled his neck, his eyes and mouth erupting in a bright and blazing blue. His power seemed to have no other manifestation, but as strong and attuned to Magic that Gildarts and Jura were, they could feel it. It was almost destabilizing, rolling over them like rogue currents out at sea.

 _'It's time for you to take that necklace off,'_ Anglachel suddenly whispered in his mind.

 _'Quiet,'_ Strider snarled back at it.

 _'As you wish,'_ the sword replied darkly.

"Don't hold back now, Strider," Gildarts said.

"As you wish," Strider replied, his voice just as dark as the sword's. He slowly raised his hand, and with it, Jura and Gildarts began to levitate. They looked on in surprise but quickly moved into defensive stances as Strider rushed them. Gildarts' body was sent flying towards the edge of the arena before Strider pulled him back. He was about to deliver a clothesline strike when Jura put up a wall between them, saving Gildarts. He suddenly sent up a dome around Strider. Gildarts took advantage of the momentary lapse and punched the dome head on, hoping to startle Strider and land a hit. As he reached it, however, the dome suddenly burst outward, showering Gildarts with sharp-edged of rock. Jura managed to raise a small wall in the nick of time to save himself from the brunt of the attack. Strider launched back a bit, eyeing his opponents.

"Damn. Thought I had him there," Gildarts sighed.

"Certainly not that easily. It might be difficult to just get close to him," Jura said.

"Damn shame Yoruichi isn't here. She could probably sneak up on him," Gildarts mused.

"She seems to be fond of him, so I'm not too sure about that," Jura chuckled. He sent several rock fists at Strider, increasing his velocity with each one. Each was sent towards the outside of the arena, crashing into the wall and bursting.

"Well…time to try something else," Gildarts said. Suddenly, he punched the ground. A fissure suddenly exploded and ripped towards Strider. Rocks launched at him and Jura followed up by sending several rock fists through the smoke, hoping to land a hit. Strider defended against the attack as best he could, but Gildarts' attack seemed to get through his barrier, sending him back. As the dust cleared, Strider had moved at least ten meters, his arms up in defense. Putting them down, he was impressed by the sheer damage that Gildarts had caused.

 _'Not bad. Not surprising either. He managed to get through my telekinetic barriers earlier today. Going to have to make them a lot stronger. Such a unique Magic,'_ Strider thought.

-o-

"Looks like they managed to land a hit," Bisca said.

"However, they expended more power than he did. Even with that, it didn't seem to damage him," Mavis said.

-o-

"My turn, I guess," Strider said, pivoting his left foot back. He raised two fingers, and with them, all the rocks that Gildarts had sent up suddenly began to levitate.

"Ah crap," Gildarts grumbled as he saw where this was going. Like gunshots, rocks of every size launched at Jura and Gildarts. Jura managed to put up a wall but several massive boulders knocked it down. Both powerhouses were bombarded by the rocks, managing to break most of the large ones with ease but finding themselves cut by the small, sharper ones. The crowd looked on in surprise as the rocks collided with the opposite wall, digging their impressions in deep and giving them an idea of the power behind the attack.

"A thousand cuts is a painful way to go down," Strider said as he got in close, giving them an eerie blue smile. With a couple of well placed telekinetic bursts, the two powerhouses were launched back. Suddenly, their bodies stopped in midair. Gildarts and Jura found themselves unable to do anything - even move. Strider made a slight motion and their two bodies rocketed at each other, colliding hard. Each headbutted the other, drawing some blood from their foreheads. As they regained control, they found Strider still close by, as though egging them to attack again.

"Well…" Gildarts said as he got up, stretching a bit. "I know what I need to learn next."

"Likewise," Jura grumbled, although still smiling.

 _'Do not draw this battle out longer. Its charm has long worn off,'_ Anglachel said.

"I guess we shouldn't draw this battle out too long," Strider said with a slightly apologetic smile. The two powerhouses had an idea of what that meant and braced themselves. With a powerful flick of his hand, Strider telekinetically drove their bodies into the ground, digging deep. Gildarts and Jura felt the pressure begin to expand on them, as though the weight of the world was upon them. Finally, they passed out, their bodies teleporting back to their respective guilds. Strider cheated his sword, smiling a bit as he stood alone in the arena, the wind billowing around him.

The crowd took a moment to ingest what they had just seen before erupting into a cheer.

"STRIDER! STRIDER! STRIDER!" they roared.

-o-

"FOLKS, HE'S DONE IT! STRIDER HAS WON THE CONTEST OF CHAMPIONS! STRIDER IS THE CHAMPION OF FIORE!" Chapati yelled, so loud that his voice carried all over the city.

-o-

Fairy Tail hit the roof as people saw their magic burst through their dugout. Mira and Erza, and Cana and Lucy hugged each other tightly while Juvia jumped up and down for him. Bisca held the cheering Asuka tightly, brimming with pride and happiness at his win. Natsu, Gajeel, and Gray roared in cheer while the Thunder Legion clapped. Wendy, finally coming to, hugged Carla in delight as well.

-o-

"Well, that was fun," Shelia said happily. "To bad you didn't win, Jura!"

"Second or third place is nothing to scoff at," Lyon said, happy that Jura had brought Lamia Scale that honor.

"You're still probably not happy," Ooba said wisely.

"Not until I manage to beat him at least once," Jura said with a smirk.

"Maybe one day, if you keep up your training. You've still got some learning to do, child," the aged Guild Master said, opening a single eye.

-o-

"Man, if only we attacked him in the beginning," Sting grumbled.

"Still might've not been enough. Certainly not against Jura, Gildarts, and him," Rogue said.

"You still want a piece of Iron Rock Jura?" Olga mused.

"Next time, perhaps," Rufus said, politely clapping along.

-o-

"Woo! Go Strider!" Millianna meowed happily as her teammates cheered for him as well.

"What do you think, Kagura?" Risley asked with a smirk.

"What do you mean? I think it was impressive. Nothing more," Kagura replied.

"Mhm. I saw you two coming out of the Tunnel of Love, by the way," Risley said. Araña and Millianna looked agape at Kagura while Beth blushed - although not as much as Kagura, who turned a bright red.

"Ugh…" she sighed, squirming a bit.

-o-

"Folks, thank you for joining us for this absolutely marvelous event. Please excuse us for a moment as we determine the ranking. As Jura and Gildarts were eliminated at the same time, we need to decide how to go about this," Chapati said. He began talking to the other judges as Strider was teleported to his guild, smiling.

-o-

"Hey," Strider said. His Guildmates all rushed him and took him down. Mira was the first to wrap her arms around him tightly, not daring to let go. He returned her hug and continued to accept them all around.

"THAT'S RIGHT! THE STRONGEST GUILD IN FIORE HAS THE STRONGEST WIZARD IN FIORE! TAKE THAT!" Makarov yelled.

"Way to go, buddy," Gray grinned as he slapped Strider on the back. Strider returned the grin and high-fived Natsu before picking Asuka up and levitating her further to his shoulder. She hugged his head, eliciting and exalted sigh from Bisca and Mira.

"Excellent work out there," Erza said, smiling as she hugged him from the side.

"Thank you. It was pretty fun," Strider said.

"That's two out of three slots for Fairy Tail. We're definitely the champions," Levy said happily.

Wendy rushed and hugged Strider who knelt down and hugged her back.

"You did it!" she exclaimed happily.

"Only because I didn't have to fight you. You were the best Wizard out there today. Like I said, I'm very proud," he said, eliciting a bright smile from the small Dragon Slayer.

-o-

Finally, Chapati and the judges came back with their decision.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we've finally settled on the results. In first place, our Champion - STRIDER!" Chapati roared as the crowd erupted in a massive cheer.

"In second place, we have a tie - JURA NEEKIS AND GILDARTS CLIVE!" Chapati said. Jura and Gildarts looked surprised.

-o-

The crowd erupted for the two powerhouses as well.

"They went toe to toe with him!" someone else exclaimed.

"What do you expect? Jura's a Wizard Saint and Gildarts even tried a century quest!" someone else replied.

-o-

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure announce third place…WENDY MARVELL!" Chapati roared. The crowd erupted in their loudest cheer yet for the youngest Dragon Slayer who looked on in surprise that she was placed in third.

"But, I was fourth," she said.

-o-

"WENDY! WENDY! WENDY! WENDY!" the crowd roared excitedly. She had claimed quite a few wins during the event.

-o-

"You deserve it, Wendy," Strider said as Fairy Tail clapped and cheered for Wendy. She turned a bright red from embarrassment and resolved herself by hugging Asuka, who was extra excited her friend won.

-o-

"The ceremony for our winners is tomorrow. We hope to see you there!" Chapati said.

-o-

Fairy Tail waited for Strider, Wendy, and Gildarts, all of whom had to speak to the judges about what they were to do for the party and ceremony that night and tomorrow. Finally, they went back to their guilds.

As Fairy Tail walked back to their hotel to rest and prepare for the party tonight in the winners' honor, they were met with cheers from everyone they passed. Strider smiled and wave as he balanced Wendy on his shoulders, who also smiled and waved to everyone.

-o-

Finally, Wendy, Strider, Asuka, and Bisca got to the penthouse room…followed in by Mira, Erza, Lucy, Cana, and Juvia, who simply refused to leave. Strider simply turned and raised an eyebrow at them.

"We still have some time before the party. Thought we'd freshen up here," Mira said.

"Don't you all have your own rooms?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, but the bathroom here is amazing. I just wanna soak in the hot tub," Lucy said.

"Ha. As you wish, then. I'm going to get some rest, first," Strider said.

"We'll wake you up," Bisca said. Strider nodded his thanks before heading to his room, telekinetically shutting the door behind him.

-o-

As he got settled in his bed, Strider ran a finger along the necklace he always wore. He attempted to lift the black stone set in the middle of it; and as always, it simply clung to him, not moving a centimeter.

 _'You will remove it,'_ Anglachel whispered. _'You will have to someday.'_

"Quiet," Strider hissed at the blade, telekinetically shutting the lights off.


	34. Champion

**Got it in just before zero hour! Cutting it close is one of my favorite hobbies, after all. I hope you all enjoy this chapter - and thank you for waiting so long.**

 **As a note, in the future, I'll be updating this story closer to 3x per month as opposed to 4. So if I skip a week without notice, know that the story is still on!**

-o-

"Well, that fight was a waste of time," Lucy whined cutely as she spread her arms far out on the table. "They could've just given him the title."

"That wouldn't have been fun," Mira giggled, looking inside. Strider was still asleep.

"Mira! Why were you going so hard on all of us?!" Lucy demanded.

"I couldn't just let you win. You have to earn it, Lucy," Mira said, wagging her finger at her.

"Ugh. I didn't think you'd be so difficult," Lucy complained. "I thought that thing with Jenny was just a one time deal."

"I only regret that I didn't get to fight you, Mirajane," Erza said with a smile.

"Same," Mira giggled. "Maybe next time, then. I'm sure we'll have plenty of chances."

"You two can be really scary sometimes, you know?" Bisca sighed as she saw sparks fly between the two.

"Wendy was the best though," Mira said, hugging the bluenette close. Wendy blushed and smiled, giving her a soft thanks.

"No kidding. Great job, kid," Cana said, ruffling her hair.

"Yay Wendy!" Asuka exclaimed, hugging her friend. Wendy smiled and returned the hug, eliciting an aww form the others.

"Thanks everyone," Wendy said quietly. "But it's thanks to Strider. He's the one who helped me."

"Maybe so, but you're the one who had to pull it off in the end. Be proud, Wendy. We are," Erza said kindly. Wendy nodded as she began to play with Asuka.

"Looks like we still have some time to kill before the party begins," Cana said, pouring everyone a drink.

"And then we can finally go home. It's about time. As nice as this place is, I just want to get back to Magnolia for a while and do a job," Cana sighed.

"No kidding. I still need to pay this months rent," Lucy whined.

"We'll do a job as soon as we get back as we get back," Erza assured her.

"I wonder if Strider…" Lucy began before chuckling nervously at the eye rolls she received from the others. "Kidding! I wouldn't do that."

"There are always other options," Cana reminded her.

"Huh? Like what?" Lucy asked. Cana winked, turning Lucy red.

"Cana," Mira said exasperatedly.

"Kidding, kidding. No way sweet little Lucy would do that," Cana said, ruffling Lucy's hair.

"Ugh. You're terrible," Lucy grumbled.

"You guys might not have long when we get back," Bisca said.

"What do you mean, Bisca?" Juvia asked.

"It's a bit delayed, but it is another year, after all. S-Class Trials, remember?" Bisca said with a smile. Lucy, Juvia, and Cana suddenly got a lot more serious, each glancing at the other.

"Did you guys have them while we were gone?" Mira asked.

"Nope. No one really wanted to, plus Tenrou Island wasn't there anymore either," Bisca said.

"I'm sorry," Mira said, downcast. Bisca sighed and hugged Mira close.

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about. For any of you. We're just happy that you're back. Which means we can't just dwell on that forever. It's time to move on and the best way to do that is do what we do best," Bisca said, smiling.

"You know, it probably would've been better if you became Master instead of Macao," Cana giggled, hugging her from behind.

"That's mean," Bisca giggled. "I wanted to ask Ms. Porlyusica but the others thought that might be a bit to rough."

"I know what they mean," Lucy grumbled as she got up to stretch. As she looked over the balcony she exclaimed, "Look at that!"

As the others went over, they saw what she was talking about. A massive magical project of Strider was put up in the courtyard below, standing several stories high. He smiled serenely at the passerby below, his hair gently ruffling in the presence of a projected wind. He picked his feet up here and there, shifting positions.

"Looks like the kingdom is going all out," Cana said.

"No kidding. That thing has to be like fifty feet!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Mama! I can't see!" Asuka whined. Bisca picked her up and held on tight as she leaned over a bit, giving Asuka a better view. The tiny girl seemed awestruck.

"So big!" She exclaimed.

"Guess that's one of the perks of being champion," Mira said, admiring the large projection.

"I'm not sure if he will like this," Juvia sighed.

"He doesn't go out of his way to become known. I think he might end up regretting becoming champion," Erza sighed.

"No kidding. Probably shouldn't have participated in the first place. Men can be so competitive," Mira sighed.

"This coming from you…?" Lucy grumbled, eliciting a sweet smile.

"Wendy was way more competitive than I was," Mira reminded her.

"Hey Wendy," Lucy said.

"Yeah, Lucy?" Wendy asked.

"How did you use Dragon Force?" Lucy asked.

The others listened intently as Wendy told them everything; how Strider observed her technique and listened to how Magic worked in Fiore; how he condensed all the Ethernano that he could into a small sphere that she could consume without problem; how it gave her a fierce boost to power and energy.

"Wow. That's insane," Lucy whispered.

"No kidding. How strong is his Telekinesis?" Cana asked.

"I'm not sure. I don't think we've seen a limit on it at least," Juvia said.

"That's not true," Mira suddenly remembered. "Erza, remember that job in the Blue Mountains?"

"Yes! I almost forgot about that. Strider fought that monster that was resistant to his Magic," Erza said. She recalled him telling her about it; it was a shaking thought.

"How'd he beat it?" Bisca asked.

"He brought some stalactites down on it," Erza said, recalling the blood and severed appendages of the beast.

"Magic resistant…like Acnologia?" Bisca asked.

"Worse. This thing wasn't that big and it's skin wasn't as tough as Acnologia's scales. It's more like Strider's telekinesis just…didn't do anything," Erza said, frowning.

"That's insane," Cana scoffed. The thought of something like that was ludicrous. Some things were tougher than others, but nothing was purely resistant to Magic.

"You can ask him when he wakes up," Erza shrugged.

"Speaking of which, how much longer should we give him?" Lucy asked.

"We can wait a few more hours. Until then, I think I'm going to take a nap as well," Mira said, yawning.

"Momma, can we sleep to?" Asuka asked.

"Sure sweetheart. Let's get to bed," Bisca said.

-o-

"Looks like you're awake at last," Erza said with a smile as Strider came out on to the balcony, freshly showered and stretching.

"That was a nice nap. So many beautiful women yet sadly no one to join me," he sighed dramatically.

"You should've invited me, my love!" Juvia shouted as she quickly latched onto him from behind. Strider laughed, ruffling her hair a bit.

"So how much longer do I have?" he wondered.

"A few hours, I think. Do you know what the itinerary is?" Erza wondered.

"We have to go in before everyone else to speak with the king and princess, after which the king will announce each of us. A few details on my next tournament and then we get to party. Again," Strider said.

"Another ball?" Erza wondered.

"Yup. Looks like it'll be a busy night for me," Strider chuckled.

"That aside, are you ready for the next job?" Erza asked.

"Right. About that…" Strider began, wondering how to best say it. He figured it would be best to give the others the details on the Century Quest right away as opposed to having them find out secondhand.

"What is it?" Erza asked, frowning.

"I think it's best I tell you when the whole te—" Strider began before Erza cut him off with a shout.

"LUCY! GET OUT HERE!" She shouted. The blonde scurried over in a rush, rousing a drowsy Cana, Bisca, Wendy, and Mira as well.

"YES MA'AM?!" Lucy squealed, terrified of what she might've done wrong.

"What is it, Strider? I'll inform Natsu and Gray later," she said.

"Ah. Ha. Right," Strider sighed. 'Should've figured.'

"Right. So I already have a job picked out for me when we get back. But I can't take you guys along for it," Strider said.

"Why's that?" Erza frowned. Strider exchanged a quick glance with Mira. She sighed audibly, running a hand through her hair.

"It's a Century Quest. I think it's better - safer - if I do it myself," Strider said. There was a loud moment of silence before, perceptively, Strider quickly covered his ears.

"ARE YOU INSANE?!" Lucy roared at him.

"SERIOUSLY?! WHAT'RE YOU THINKING?!" Erza shouted.

"DID YOU NOT SEE WHAT HAPPENED TO GILDARTS?!" Cana demanded.

"Guess I should've expected that…" he sighed, finally uncovering his ears.

"You're kidding, right?" Bisca asked seriously.

"I'm not. Master Makarov and Mavis are fine with it as well," Strider said, looking towards the door again. Master Mavis walked through, smiling slightly at them.

"I have faith that Strider will be able to successfully complete the Century Quest," she said serenely.

"But Master…" Lucy trailed off nervously.

"I understand your concern, Lucy - everyone - but I think it's obvious that S, SS, or even Decade Quests might not be enough for Strider. Acnologia was on Sacred Mount Zonia when Gildarts went there - and Strider was able to slay him. I think it's fine for him to try these," Mavis said.

"But he should at least take some bake up!" Erza retorted.

"If his concentration is split between focusing on the task at hand and taking care of his teammates, it'll only hinder him," Mavis said. Erza recoiled at the bluntness of her response. As she looked at Strider, she felt a bit uneasy.

'Are we holding him back?' she wondered, frowning.

"I know you're all worried, but I'll be fine. I can handle it," Strider said. The others looked at each other, wanting to continue, but decided to drop it for the moment.

-o-

"How's it going, champ?" Ultear asked with a small smile as she came upon Strider on a walk.

"I hope no one picks up calling me that," he sighed. "But well. The Contest was pretty fun."

"Mhm. Doesn't look like you broke a sweat," Ultear said. "The Century Quest isn't going to be like that, though."

"Not again," Strider grumbled.

"Already got the third degree?" she wondered.

"More or less. I thought people had more faith in my abilities," he said.

"We do. But a Century Quest isn't like other Quests. No one has completed these jobs in a hundred years. That means that the threats remained active for a hundred years. You're not even a hundred; this threat is way older than you. You can't take it lightly," she warned.

"I know, I know," Strider said, putting his hands up. "I'm not going to try anything stupid or play a hero."

"If you do, it's the last we'll see of you," she said.

"Brimming with confidence, aren't you?" he grumbled.

"If you want, I can still unlock your Second Origin for you," she offered.

"What does it do, exactly?" Strider wondered.

"It's essentially expands your reservoir of Magic. You can use it to keep using Magic for extended periods of time or even make a spell stronger," she said.

Strider thought on her offer. He had denied it the first time because he didn't particularly trust Ultear not to try something else.

"You can trust me," she said, as though sensing what he was thinking. As Strider looked at her, he saw a brief flash of something appear - a look of pain on her face. Finally, he smiled.

"I accept. Let's do it bright and early tomorrow. I have a feeling it might hurt," he sighed.

"Erza seemed to be fine with it," Ultear said.

"Extenuating circumstances in my case, unfortunately," Strider said, rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh. I understand," Ultear said, frowning. She recalled the memory during the fifth day. "That's fine. Early morning. I'll find a spot for us."

"Sounds good. Thank you, Ultear," he said.

"No problem," she said, smiling and waving as he left.

-o-

"I thought I'd find you if I kept walking around," Jenny giggled as she came up behind Strider.

"Hey, Jenny. How're you feeling?" he wondered, giving her a hug.

"I'm fine. How about you, Mr. Champion?" she wondered.

"Like a million jewels," Strider said cheerfully.

"So, coming to my shoot tomorrow?" she asked, smiling.

"But of course. Wouldn't miss it," Strider said, winking.

"Rumor is it that you have a few shoots tomorrow as well," Jenny said.

"Ugh…" Strider sighed, rubbing the back of his head. As he was informed after the Contest, he was obligated to grace a cover of Sorcerer's Weekly.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Handsome guy, pretty girl - we're gonna sell copies like hotcakes," she said cheerfully.

"Perhaps I should've just thrown the match," he grumbled.

"Don't want the fame?" she wondered.

"Not particularly. Not out of any far reaching sense of humility. Just would prefer to keep my privacy," he sighed.

"Lifestyles of the rich and famous, I'm afraid," she sighed, tapping on his chest a bit. "So, I wanted to ask you something."

"Hmm? What is it?" he wondered.

"Do you want to go out with me when we get back? My guild's just north of Clover Town. Pretty close to Magnolia," Jenny said seriously.

"Sure. I'd like that," Strider said. She smiled and nodded, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I'll see you at the Ball, then," she said.

-o-

As dusk began to settle, Strider made his way over to Mercurius.

"Hello, Strider," Hisui greeted him with a smile.

"Princess," he said, bowing. "Anyone else here yet?"

"You're the first one. Gildarts, Jura, and Wendy should be here soon. Would you like to wait with me until they arrive?" she asked.

"Certainly," Strider nodded.

"The preparations for our trip to Bosco are all complete. You'll meet me here in three weeks and then we'll set out," she said.

"I understand," Strider nodded. "Are you ready for it, my lady?"

"I am," Hisui said, talking a noticeably deep sigh. "Nervous, but ready."

"Do you think they'll comply?" Strider asked softly.

"I don't know about that," she frowned. "The political and economic ramifications of them changing are going to be extreme. Slavery is ingrained in their way of life; it's not something that's revolted like it is here. But we have to try."

"We can't discount idealism," Strider said.

"I agree," she nodded. "Incidentally, I believe Bosco's Contest recently ended as well. They have their own Champion."

"Ah, yes. I do recall something about this being an Ishgar-wide event. I imagine I'll have to represent Fiore against the other countries soon enough," Strider said.

"I'm afraid so. In total, there are 14 Champions that represent Ishgar. The matches between you all are yet to be determined, but I think they'll be sooner rather than later. Even Pergrande and Bellum have agreed to join in, which is…surprising, to say the least. I hope that it might be an occasion for the countries to tighten their bonds with each other, if not put some grudges to rest," Hisui said.

"Here's hoping," Strider nodded. "Is there anything else you can tell me about these contests?"

"In terms of contestants? I'm afraid not. We're strictly prohibited from sharing any knowledge with the champions," Hisui said, letting out a disgruntled sigh.

"I feel as though there's something you're not saying," Strider mused.

"I believe the other kingdoms likely won't adhere to that particular rule. After all, this will be the first contest of it's kind in Ishgar. Everyone wants to win and say that the strongest wizard on the continent is one of theirs," Hisui said, slightly bitter.

"I thought the strongest wizard on the continent was already decided? Isn't it God Serena?" Strider wondered.

"Informally, yes. This puts it in the history books, however," Hisui said.

"I see," Strider said. "Mmm. In that case, let's keep it a secret. I don't want you breaking the rules if you don't have to. Plus, I suppose it might be more fun to go into it blind."

"Are you sure?" Hisui asked.

"Positive. I'll be sure to do my best to represent Fiore," Strider said, smiling.

"I have confidence that you will," Hisui said happily.

They made light conversation for a little while longer before Wendy, Gildarts, and Jura joined them, alongside the king.

"Hi, Strider!" Wendy exclaimed as she walked in.

"Hey, Wendy. Feeling alright?" Strider asked.

"A bit nervous," she said softly.

"Understandable," Strider said, ruffling her hair. There would be a lot of eyes on her tonight. "How are you, Carla?"

"Well, thank you. You seem to be happy, Champion," she remarked.

"Welcome, gentlemen," Strider said as they shook hands.

"Marvelous job out there, Wendy," Jura said, praising the bluenette again.

"Seriously. That's the best showing I've seen in a long time," Gildarts grinned.

"Hello, gentlemen and lady. You all fought splendidly today," Toma said.

"Thank you, your majesty," Jura said as he bowed.

"Please, no need to bow," Toma said, a smile on his face. "First of all, I'd like to congratulate you once again Strider - Champion of Fiore!"

"Thank you, your majesty. I hope I can live up to everyone's expectations," Strider replied, nodding at the man.

"I've no doubt about that," Hisui said softly.

"And you, Jura and Gildarts, for both placing second - an excellent match. And you, Wendy - for the greatest shows I've seen. Tonight is for you four. You will given a little while to prepare; after that, I will announce you all, beginning with Wendy, then Jura and Gildarts at the same time, and finally, Strider. Clothes have been prepared," Toma said, waving his hand. As if my magic, several attendants rushed in with a massive wardrobe.

Strider snapped his fingers. The black Elven regalia he had worn on the second day of the match appeared on him as if by Magic.

 _'Goddamn I forget how useful it is. To bad it's so limited. I should get some advice from Erza or Mira or Jenny,'_ he thought.

"Clothes fit for a king," Toma said, admiring the material. "In addition, Strider, you will have the honor of the first dance with my daughter."

"Father!" Hisui squealed, blushing a deep red.

"Now, now, sweetheart - it's not just us, after all," Toma said, laughing. "I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, sir. Although, it seems the princess might," Strider chuckled.

"What? Not at all!" Hisui retorted, a bit to quickly. Jura and Gildarts joined in on the laughter, turning Hisui even redder.

"Ugh. Men…" she grumbled.

"I know what you're saying," Carla sighed.

"Beyond that, there are many other benefits. A home near Crocus is being prepared for you - a beautiful villa in the mountains that overlook the city. The hotel manager has agreed to lease you the penthouse you've been staying in for the year as well. The news of your victory has already been spread; I've no doubt that dignitaries from other countries will be learning of your win soon. The next tournament will be in a few months," Toma said.

"Will it be here?" Strider wondered.

"That's yet to be determined. Of course, every country wants the right to be the first host. I believe we might leave it to the Ten Wizard Saints and Magic Council to make the final decision in the coming weeks. Between the two, all the countries are represented," Toma said.

"We'll leave you all to get prepared now," Hisui said, escorting her father out of the room.

-o-

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you the King of Fiore - Toma E. Fiore!" Arcadios yelled as everyone started clapping. All of the guilds had been assembled in Mercurius as the party to honor Strider, Gildarts, Jura, and Wendy was about to begin.

"In addition, it is my pleasure to introduce to you the Princess of Fiore - Hisui E. Fiore!" Arcadios yelled. The men cheered even louder as the beautiful Hisui made her way out. She wore her hair down as she had earlier in the day; it was complimented by a beautiful green gown.

"Thank you, General Arcadios. I hope you are all well today!" Toma yelled as the mages began cheering.

"The Grand Magic Games were truly a wonderful thing; but I believe that the Contest of Champions might give the games quite a run for their money. I hope for this Contest to continue long into the future; but what will always be remembered is the first Contest!" Toma yelled. His announcement was met with a thunderous applause; despite the losses, everyone had a fun time.

"It is my pleasure to introduce to you first our third place competitor. She stunned everyone with her absolute ferocity in the Contest, taking out more mages than anyone else. She truly is a marvel, ladies and gentlemen. Please welcome: WENDY MARVELL!" Toma yelled.

The mages erupted into their loudest cheer yet as Wendy walked out, wearing a pretty blue dress. She was blushing madly at all the attention that she was receiving as she waved at the crowd. Carla rested atop her head as she waved to everyone as well.

"GO WENDY!" came a roar from Gray and Natsu who seemed to be the most excited for the young Dragon Slayer. Wendy smiled and waved to her guild mates, who were ecstatic.

"YAY WENDY!" Shelia shouted, getting her attention.

"That little girl stood taller than everyone during the games," Makarov said proudly.

"She's quite a formidable fighter. One of the better wizards of this generation," Mavis agreed, smiling. She was particularly fond of Wendy.

"That's quite the high praise, First Master," Makarov mused.

"She still has much to learn. I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to surprise most of the others," Mavis said softly, her vivid green eyes tracking Wendy.

'Perhaps I should take her under my wing?' Mavis thought.

"Definitely manlier than the other Dragon Slayers" Elfman said. The Dragon Slayers deflated a bit while their Exceed companions cheered loudly.

"That's for sure," Lisanna giggled.

"Oh! She looks so adorable!" Mira said happily.

"What do you think, Romeo?" Wakaba asked slyly. Romeo went as red as Wendy; everyone else in Fairy Tail laughed at the reaction.

-o-

"If only she was in Mermaid Heel," Arana sighed.

"She might even give Kagura a challenge," Millianna said as she wrapped her arms around her friend. Kagura smiled.

"I think she might, actually. We all saw how formidable of a fighter she is; and with the training she received from Strider, she just might've eclipsed most of the wizards in attendance," Kagura said.

"He trained her?" Risley asked, surprised. Kagura nodded.

"No wonder she tore up. But how'd she get so strong in a day of training?" Beth asked curiously.

"If I'm correct, he taught her how to enter Dragon Force - like Sting and Rogue," Kagura said.

"She was almost scarier than Erzy," Millianna sighed.

-o-

"She's kind of scary," Sherry said.

"She's awesome!" Shelia replied happily.

Lyon recalled their fight against the Oración Seis. In terms of support, he doubted there were any wizards better suited than Shelia and Wendy. As he looked at his own companion and back at Wendy, he smiled a bit.

 _'Almost like Gray and I,'_ he thought.

-o-

"Next, I'd like to present to you our second places contestants. They are two of the most powerful wizards in Fiore - indeed, in all of Ishgar! A round of applause to the Wizard Saint, Jura Neekis and the Ace of Fairy Tail, Gildarts Clive!" Toma yelled.

"GO JURA!" Lyon yelled. Jura bowed low towards his guild as they cheered him on.

"COME ON DAD!" Cana yelled. Gildarts grinned at Fairy Tail as they competed with Lamia Scale for who could cheer the loudest.

-o-

"Kind of happy I didn't have to face them," Olga said.

"Yeah, would've gotten our asses handed to us," Sting agreed.

"Their magic is certainly interesting, especially Gildarts," Rufus said.

"Have you tried copying it?" Rogue asked.

"I have not. It seems that even he can't control the destruction it causes; I wouldn't fare much better," Rufus replied.

"Is it really that powerful?" Yukino wondered.

"Crash and Disassembly are two of the most powerful magics that exist. Unfortunately, they are as unruly as they are strong," Rufus said.

This was demonstrated as Gildarts accidentally touched a chair which exploded in his hands. He looked on sheepishly as he continued walking.

-o-

"I hope he doesn't destroy the castle," Makarov said as he facepalmed.

"So cool!" Natsu said excitedly.

"Wonder how we would've fared against him?" Gray wondered.

"He would've turned you into a mini-army like he did to Natsu on Tenrou Island," Happy said happily.

"I doubt even we could take him on," Erza said to Mira who smiled and nodded in response.

"It looked like Jura wasn't able to, either," she added. Jura and Gildarts quickly slipped into an easy conversation with each other; the two seemed to get on extremely well.

-o-

"And now, ladies and gentleman, the winner of the event. He needs no introduction! Welcome the strongest wizard in Fiore, STRIDER!" Toma yelled. Fairy Tail exploded as he came into view, smiling at his friends.

-o-

"Serena is quite interested in facing him soon," Jura mused to Gildarts.

"He needs to get past me first. I've always wanted to see how strong he really is," Gildarts said.

-o-

"Rufus, don't we have the guild exchange coming up in a few weeks?" Rogue asked.

"Indeed. It would be a useful time to train alongside him," Rufus nodded.

"What do you think, Yukino?" Sting asked.

"Hmm? Oh yeah," Yukino said as the men sweatdropped.

"Looks like you might have competition," Olga grinned at Sting, who turned red.

-o-

"So, Kagura - you two been getting closer?" Arana teased as Kagura blushed.

"No way! You and him?!" Millianna said, jaw dropping.

"No! Not like that! I just find him to be…intriguing," Kagura said, still blushing.

"Uh-huh. So do Mira and Jenny and probably some others," Millianna deadpanned.

"You don't?" Risley wondered.

"He's not cute enough," Millianna said, disgruntled. She preferred cute and cuddly.

-o-

"YEAH! GO STRIDER!" Natsu yelled.

"HELL YEAH!" Gray roared as well.

"KICK THEIR ASSES!" Gajeel yelled.

"He's not fighting anyone," Levy deadpanned.

"Whatever. He should still kick their asses," Gajeel stated.

"I think it's safe for me to say he's the strongest wizard that I've ever encountered," Mavis said as she smiled at Strider. He had proven to be an extremely powerful yet gentle and grounded wizard - one that knew what a situation called for and one that wouldn't go overboard.

Suddenly, a tiny figure broke away from the Fairy Tail crowd and headed for Strider. Asuka escaped free of Bisca's grip and ran on and hugged Strider's leg. He smiled at the little girl before levitating her on to his shoulder as he walked towards his spot. Adorably, she hugged his head electing another cheer from the crowd.

He handed Asuka to Wendy before heading to the middle of the tables, waiting for the princess.

"Before the party begins, Strider will honor us with the first dance," Toma said before he backed away. The crowd clapped politely as Hisui came down, blushing gently as she walked towards Strider.

-o-

"Should've figured," Mira sighed.

"I'm sure he'll have time to dance with you too," Lisanna giggled.

"Me first!" Lucy shouted.

"What? Like hell!" Cana retorted.

"I shall dance with him first after the princess," Juvia declared.

"Ladies, calm down!" Mavis interjected, bringing an end to the commotion. "As First Master, I'll go first!"

"WHAT?!" They shouted, eliciting a happy laugh from Mavis.

"Kidding. Figure it out amongst yourselves, but quietly," she said, a sense of finality in her voice. The others grumbled but agreed.

-o-

"You look marvelous," Strider whispered as he placed his arms around Hisui's waist.

"Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself," she said, blushing as she swayed gently with him. "Sorry about my father."

"Nothing to feel sorry for. If he didn't offer, I would've just asked you myself," Strider said with a light smile, eliciting a deeper blush from the princess.

"You're not quite as nervous around royalty as others," she mused.

"No point in being nervous if there's no reason to," he said.

"What would make you nervous?" she wondered.

"Keep trying new things and I'll be sure to let you know," he chuckled, twirling her.

"Perhaps - if you're not in a rush to go home - you can stay for a few more days? I'd be happy to show you everything the city has to offer," Hisui said.

"I'd like to, but I'm afraid I can't. I have a difficult quest waiting for me when I get back and I'd like to complete it before our trip to Bosco. Perhaps on our return?" He wondered.

"Yes. I'd like that," Hisui said, resting her head on his chest as they continued to sway.

-o-

Finally, as their dance ended, the other guilds began to flood the dance floor and tables, intent on enjoying the night as much as possible. Strider had barely gotten seated when Mira lifted him back up.

"What's up?" he wondered.

"How about a dance?" she asked, smiling.

"Happily," he said, grinning. As they began, Erza grumbled.

 _'Rock, paper, scissors is totally unfair,'_ she thought.

-o-

"I hope this makes up for not dancing with you last time," Strider said.

"A little. Would've been nice if you asked me," she said, pouting.

"I would've if you'd have given me a little longer," he said, gripping her a bit tighter. Mira smiled and leaned in a bit more as she took in the feeling on his hands pressed against her.

"Guess I should've waited. Always let the guy come to you," she sighed.

"Ah. Now that I know that's your intention, I'm going to play harder to get," he laughed.

"Try me," she smirked. "Hey…about your Century Quest…"

"Hmm? What is it?" he asked.

"I want you to promise me that you're going to be careful," Mira said, eyes downcast. "I thought I lost you once already. I…I don't want to go through that again."

"I understand. I promise I won't take any unnecessary risk," Strider whispered.

"Please keep it," Mira said, hugging him closer. Strider sighed as he held her a bit closer.

 _'Going to have to be particularly careful,'_ he thought.

-o-

Erza quickly came up behind Mira and locked herself in a dance with Strider.

"Who knew you could move so fast," he laughed.

"Well, I did come in second place after all," she said. Seeing his bewildered look, she shook her head. "Forget it. There's also something else I need to tell you."

"Oh? What is it?" Strider wondered.

"Jellal would like to speak to you about something. He refused to tell me what just yet, only that he needs to talk to you about it first," Erza said. Strider looked curiously at her.

"Alright. Where is he?" Strider asked. Erza pointed to Crime Sorcière, who were sulking by a corner.

"I imagine it's something about Zeref," she said.

"Alright. Well, I'll go over after we finish," he said, turning his attention back to her.

"It seemed important," Erza said.

"As are you," Strider whispered, giving her a passionate look. Erza blushed a bit but smiled, leaning in a bit closer.

-o-

"What's going on?" Strider asked as he walked up to the wizards. To his surprise, Master Makarov, Jura, and Gildarts joined him as well.

"Strider, what do you know of the Balam Alliance?" Jellal asked.

"Nothing, I suppose. What is it?" Strider wondered. Jura, Gildarts, and Makarov each looked surprised at the mention.

"The Balam Alliance is - or rather was - an alliance between the three most powerful Dark Guilds in Ishgar. All other Dark Guilds - Eisenwald, Naked Mummy, Death's Head, etc. - answer to these three: the Oración Seis, Grimoire Heart, and Tartaros," Jellal said, allowing Strider a moment to process the information.

"Tartaros?" Strider wondered, raising a brow.

"Yes. Two of them have been destroyed. Team Natsu joined with Lyon, Jura, and Sherry from Lamia Scale; The Trimens and Ichiya from Blue Pegasus; and Wendy and Carla from Cait Shelter teamed to stop the Oración Seis from activating an old weapon known as Nirvana; while the Tenrou Island Team defeated and destroyed Grimoire Heart seven years ago. Tartaros, however, is still active," Jellal said.

"They're also the most dangerous. They're not made up of people like the others; each member of that guild is a Demon from the Books of Zeref. We don't know what their goal is, but it's imperative we must stop them," Ultear said.

"Demons?" Strider asked, interested.

"Yes. I'm not sure if you've had any interactions with their kind before," Jellal said.

Strider felt a prickling sensation on his back.

-o-

Strider was on his stomach while a crushing weight was on his back. He entered the heart of a long abandoned hell to try and slay the beast that lay within; but it proved to be to much.

"Your resolve is impressive, boy," the beast said as it dug its claws into Strider's back. Slowly, agonizingly, the beast started to cut him down the entirety of his back, chanting to make sure that this pain would remain with Strider for his life.

"You're not even begging for mercy or crying in pain - I'm impressed! The rumors of your exploits reached me; we're not very different you and I. Well, except that you're down there and I'm up here," the beast said in its deep and vicious voice.

Finally, it stopped. Strider was breathing heavily, in some of the fiercest pain he'd ever known. He heard the ground shake as the beast stepped back.

"Until we meet again. Remember my gift to you," it said as it reentered shadow and flame.

-o-

"Of a sort," Strider said, rolling his neck.

"We're telling you this because we've been wanting to strike them for a while now. We recently destroyed a Dark Guild and they told us that Tartaros is on the move and attempting to make waves. We're not sure what they plan on doing, but what we do know is that they must be stopped," Jellal said.

"How can we help?" Makarov asked immediately.

"All your skills - all the Wizards that are gathered here - are impressive. We'd like your help in taking them and their offshoot guilds down. If we can break their defenses, we can delay their plans and weaken them to the point where we might have a strong chance of winning," Jellal said.

"We want to stop them before a war starts," Ultear said.

"War? Don't you think that's a bit much?" Strider asked.

"When it comes to Dark Guilds, it's about right," Gildarts said, frowning. "They always try to instigate a fight, large or small."

"We want to prevent it by going after the smaller guilds first and then taking out Tartaros before it escalates. Will you help us?" Jellal asked, his eyes washing over them.

"We certainly will," Makarov said immediately. The Dark Guilds had been on his mind for a while and two of the largest had made a move in rapid succession. He was happy that Tartaros hadn't done anything during their seven year absence.

"Are you sure, Master?" Gildarts asked.

"I am. If we have a chance to strike down Tartaros, we should take it. It seems as though you three have done your research," Makarov said.

"Yes, sir. Thank you, Master," Jellal said.

"Lamia Scale will help as well. I think it'd be worthwhile to tell all the Masters at once, however. At least the basics," Jura said.

"We can do it after the ball," Meredy said.

"That works. Unfortunately, Yoruichi isn't here," Jura sighed.

"I'm sure Kagura will be able to relay a message to her," Strider mused.

"Are you in?" Jellal asked.

"If Master Makarov thinks it's best, then I have no argument," Strider said.

"We can't just ask them to risk their lives; we should offer something in return," Meredy said, a bit uncomfortable. This would be a dangerous endeavor.

"Well, you guys mentioned that there are several smaller sub-guilds. Why not offer disbandment of the guilds as jobs? I assume many of them are active in some regard. It's just a matter of reward, timing, and strength," Strider said.

"Not a bad idea. Perhaps we can…" Jellal said, looking to Ultear who thought on what he was thinking.

"Ask the king to sponsor the jobs? Not a bad idea, actually. Toma seems to be a fairly kind person; I think he'd be open to it," Strider said.

"It's decided. We'll meet up after the event, then," Jellal said. Strider nodded before heading back to the dance floor.

-o-

"What was that all about?" Bisca wondered as he gently took her hand.

"I think you'll find out soon enough," Strider said, smiling as he pulled her close. "How are you tonight?"

"Happier now," she giggled, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"You look beautiful," he said, nothing the light green gown she wore.

"Thanks. You look really handsome yourself. This stuff is amazing," she said, running her hands across his chest.

"I'll be sure to bring you an outfit next time," Strider said.

"Need my measurements?" she asked, smirking.

"I think I got them last time, but I'd like to make sure. Always double and triple check your work, after all," Strider said.

"Works for me," she giggled.

They had barely danced for a few minutes when Juvia suddenly interjected.

"My turn, my turn!" she whined. Bisca sighed and nodded. Strider kissed her hand before beginning his dance with Juvia, who seemed to be concentrating very hard.

"What is it, Juvia?" he asked, amused.

"I'm trying not to melt," she sighed. Strider chuckled and nodded, making sure he didn't hold her to close.

"It's not a problem. So long as you enjoy it, I'm happy," he said. Juvia giggled happily and nodded but didn't dare drop her concentration.

"Looks like Gajeel's got some moves as well," Strider said, amused. Juvia looked sideways and laughed - the first time Strider ever heard her do so.

"He was an entertainer even when we were in Phantom Lord," she said.

"It sounds like you two got along well enough," Strider said.

"I suppose we didn't have any problems. But it wasn't as though we spent any time with each other. Our former Master wasn't very keen on interpersonal relationships," Juvia sighed.

"I'm happy that you joined Fairy Tail," Strider said quietly. Juvia looked up at him and smiled, nodding before slowly resting her head against him, making sure not to puddle.

"Thank you," she whispered softly.

"Hmm?" Strider hummed.

"It's nothing," she said.

-o-

"What did Jellal want?" Cana wondered. She saw Erza talking to him not long ago.

"You'll see in a little while," Strider said.

"Coyness is so not attractive," Cana deadpanned.

"Are you saying you're attracted to me otherwise?" Strider asked.

"Well, you're handsome enough. So at the very least, skin deep," Cana giggled.

"Whatever happened to personality?" Strider asked.

"Can't see personality," she said. "Looks like Jellal's going around. Look."

Strider saw Jellal and Ultear quickly go from group to group, whispering some things to the Masters before leaving to visit another. As they left Sting, Strider saw a huge grin play across Sting's face.

"If Sting's smiling that wide, it's probably a fight," Cana sighed.

"Tired of fighting?" Strider asked.

"For a couple days. I just want to relax before getting back to it all," Cana said, yawning. "Maybe hear some stories?"

"Yes, yes, I remember," Strider sighed. Tonight would be the night - he was bound to get some questions tonight.

"Do you really not want to?" Cana asked, shifting a bit.

"Hmm. It's not quite that. It's more that…well, there's some stuff I'd rather not delve into. I'll say as much as I can, though. Trust is important, after all," Strider said.

"We trust you," Cana said defiantly. Strider smiled, kissing her head but offering no reply.

'We trust you…' Cana thought to herself again, frowning. 'Don't we?'

-o-

Finally, the party began to die down as most guild members left - notably present, however, were the strongest that each guild had to offer. Toma ordered Arcadios to usher the guards out as well and make his way back to the war room. Toma led everyone in attendance there as well; this conversation was of the utmost importance and secrecy. Almost everyone was curious as to why they were congregating here. Once inside, they found Crime Sorcière already assembled.

"Thank you everyone for taking some time to see us here," Jellal said.

"What's up?" Jenny asked, curious. She quickly sidled over to Strider, taking his arm and putting it around her. She winked at Mira, who deadpanned; while shuddering a bit as Erza gave her a hard look. Strider kept his mouth shut, despite an overwhelming desire to laugh.

"Yeah, why are we here?" Hibiki inquired.

"It does seem a bit wild," Bacchus said, looking around.

"No doubt that's the question on everyone's mind. First, we'd like to introduce ourselves. My name is Jellal Fernandes. With me are Meredy and Ultear Milkovich. Six years ago, we formed an independent guild - Crime Sorcière," Jellal said.

"Now I remember where I know that name from!" Sting exclaimed, visibly impressed.. "You guys broke up a bunch of Dark Guilds, right?"

"That's right. However, our ultimate goal still evades us: Zeref," Jellal said. Many people recoiled at the name; the legend of the black wizard was known to them all. Strider shuffled a bit, his eyes traveling to Mavis. She saw and returned the look, a curious look on her face.

"I take it everyone here knows about the Balam Alliance?" Jellal asked; everyone nodded.

"As everyone may or may not know, the alliance isn't what it used to be. Seven years ago, Fairy Tail teamed up with Cait Shelter, Blue Pegasus, and Lamia Scale to defeat the Oración Seis," Jellal said. It was news to some guilds - mainly Mermaid Heel and Sabertooth.

"Really?" Sting asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Was pretty fun," Natsu said, grinning.

"Were you there at the time?" Kagura asked Strider.

"Nope. That was all them," he said.

"And seven years ago, Grimoire Heart attacked Fairy Tail on Tenrou Island as they conducted their S-Class Trials. At that time, Grimoire Heart was destroyed as well," Jellal said.

"You gotta be kidding me! That's why you guys disappeared for seven years? I thought it was because of Acnologia?!" Sting exclaimed.

"Not entirely. Grimoire Heart was defeated on the island, but it was Acnologia that was the result of the disappearance," Ultear added.

"But I thought you guys defeated Acnologia?" Beth asked.

"No. A very powerful defense spell was cast that held us in stasis for seven years; Strider defeated Acnologia," Makarov explained. All eyes turned to Strider who just winked at them.

"Of the Balam Alliance, only one guild remains: Tartaros. They're different from the other two Dark Guilds, however; they consist of Demons. They have nine elites, who are called the Nine Demon Gates. In addition, there are several Dark Guilds that swear allegiance to them. Our goal is to eradicate the sub guilds in question, and finally, destroy Tartaros," Jellal said.

"Why now?" Mira asked.

"We've heard that Tartaros is getting ready to do something on a large scale, although we don't know what exactly it is. Our plan is to weaken Tartaros by getting rid of their eyes and ears, after which we can strike them," Jellal said.

"The Kingdom of Fiore will be offering the destruction and disbandment of these guilds as jobs that will be specially presented to those in attendance here; each will pay significantly. One of the members of Crime Sorcière will always be with you when attending to these jobs," Toma added as Crime Sorcière nodded.

"This is going to be a very dangerous mission. Those that would rather not be a part of it, we understand," Jellal said, giving them an out. He wouldn't hold it against any of them.

"We're in. Master Yoruichi would have it no other way," Kagura said.

"As are we," Lamia Scale affirmed.

"WILD!" Quattro Cerberus yelled excitedly.

"Count us in," Sting said as his teammates agreed.

"The parfum of camaraderie. The smell is delightful. We to shall join," Ichiya said as his team agreed.

"Fairy Tail is always in," Makarov said as all the Fairy Tail members cheered in excitement.

"Never fought a Demon before," Natsu grinned.

"Of course we did, moron! Remember Lullaby?" Lucy asked, exasperated.

"That was a Demon?!" Natsu asked, incredulous.

"Lullaby?" Strider wondered.

"It's a flute that became a demon," Erza explained.

"Wait - what?" Strider asked, surprised.

"We'll explain later," Lucy sighed. It was a bit bizarre, even now.

"Before you go on any of these jobs, however, make sure to let one of us - or Strider - know," Ultear said. A bewildered Strider raised an eyebrow, wondering why he was included.

"Why him?" Rogue asked.

"Something just tells me that he'll get any answers we need," Ultear deadpanned, eliciting a laugh.

"Well, that's it for now. Well look forward to working with you all," Jellal said. As everyone left, the topic of Dark Guilds was heavy on their minds.

-o-

As they got back to the penthouse, Bisca, Lucy, Cana, Erza, Mira, Juvia, and Jenny got settled on the balcony, each with a serious look.

"I was hoping you all would've forgotten," he sighed.

"No chance about that," Jenny said.

"Mama? What's going on?" Asuka asked, joining them as well.

"Just something for grown ups, sweety. I'll put you to bed, alright?" Bisca said.

"Kay," Asuka said, yawning.

"Well - where to begin, I guess," Strider said, looking over on the city below.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Erza quickly asked. Of anything she wanted to ask, that was the question she most wanted an answer to.

"Right," Strider sighed as Bisca got back. "Well…"


	35. Wounded

"Right. Well, this happened after I was already a few years into the war effort," Strider said, looking over the balcony. Mira felt guilty as she heard him speak; it was sorrowful tone.

 _'Are we making him relive things he doesn't want to?'_

 _'Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all,'_ Erza thought. Lucy, Cana, and Jenny shifted uncomfortably; while Bisca and Juvia just looked on.

"Let's see. I was staying in a small village at the time that was a crossroads for a variety of travelers. We had people of all stripes there, not all of them friendly. Still, it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Then one rainy night, we had a few unusual visitors," Strider said, smiling a bit.

-o-

 _As Strider settled in at the Prancing Pony, he took a moment to observe all of the adventurers and vagabonds there. It was mostly men; disheveled, weary, dirty, young and old - no princes or kings or well-to-do's. Some were bloodied, having made their living for the day and drinking it away. They poured pints by the barrel, inhaling them as quick as they came. The smell of pipeweed lingered in the air, casting a little fog throughout._

 _His eyes eventually traveled to a particular man that stood in a dark corner of the inn. He wore a green cloak that covered him well, save for his scruffy shadow. He took a deep inhale of his pipe, his eyes traveling around the inn. Soon, their eyes met; the two gave each other a short nod and got back to their business._

 _'A Ranger? Another Dúnedan, I suppose. Probably the only other one in this town,' Strider thought to himself. He looked out the window; the rain fell with the feeling it would flood the world. Soon, the doors opened again. To his intrigue, four Hobbits had walked in._

 _'Halflings? Not uncommon but I don't usually see them here,' Strider thought. They, just as much as the others, seemed disheveled and tired - and a little frightened, he thought. They quickly approached the barkeep. He did his best not to intrude on the conversation; whatever they wanted was their business alone._

 _Instead, he made his way over to the Ranger. The Dúnedan looked at him and tilted his head before looking around the room, his eyes settling on the halflings. Strider didn't comment on it; at the very least, he was certain that this was no mere Ranger._

 _"Another Ranger in these parts?" Strider wondered._

 _"These parts need a Ranger," the man replied._

 _"True enough. They aren't under attack high and low by orcs, but there have been rumors," Strider said._

 _"And what rumors might those be?" the Ranger inquired._

 _"Figures clad in black and seen on horseback cutting tracks across the river. A far sight dangerous than any orc, I'd say," Strider said, taking a sip of his hot tea._

 _"In such cases, it's wise to mind oneself," the Ranger said. He took a quick look at Strider before returning his attention to the halflings. "You do seem capable, however."_

 _"As do you," Strider mused. He leaned back a bit and tilted his head, curious._

 _"Dúnedan?" the Ranger asked._

 _"Yes," Strider said._

 _"And one so young," the Ranger said softly._

 _"You must be nearing halfway," Strider said with a chuckle._

 _"I'm thankful halfway is still far off," the Ranger replied. "Your mother and father?"_

 _"Orphan. It's a necessarily short life these days. It's no wonder we look the way we do," Strider said. The Ranger chuckled a bit before inhaling deep. As he blew the smoke out, Strider contorted it gently to have it turn into a perfect ring. The Ranger looked impressed._

 _"And a wizard?" the Ranger asked._

 _"Of sorts. Nothing like the great ones, but it's a neat trick," Strider said with a small smile._

 _"A far sight more than a trick, I'd wager," the Ranger said softly. As his eyes met Strider's again, Strider felt a jolt through his body. He felt himself looking at something - someone - more than a man. He quickly regained control of himself and looked around the room. He saw the Ranger smile out of the corner of his eye and cursed himself for being the first to break._

 _'I'll never live this one down,' he thought. 'But who is he?'_

 _"And your line?" the Ranger asked._

 _"I haven't had much time for genealogy this past decade," Strider sighed. "I don't even remember my name at birth. Makes it all the harder."_

 _"And what is your name now?" the Ranger asked._

 _"Strider," Strider answered._

 _"A good name," the Ranger said with a small smile._

 _"Happy you think so," Strider said with a laugh. "So, what brings a Ranger to Bree?"_

 _"My travels take me far and wide. Bree today, elsewhere tomorrow. And yourself?" the Ranger asked._

 _"Bree today, elsewhere tomorrow. Where there's a fight, there am I," Strider sighed._

 _"Not an ideal living," the Ranger said._

 _"The only living I need until this war is over," Strider said._

 _"Most don't think we're at war right now," the Ranger said._

 _"How right I wish they were," Strider said, running a hand through his hair. "Giants, and trolls descending from the mountain, Nazgûl riding around without compunction; and orcs nearing the countryside. Even orcs that can move in daylight - not many, but some. If this isn't war, what is it?"_

 _"It's war," the Ranger said softly. One of the halflings looked at him and suddenly looked away, as though afraid. "And it has those that know on edge."_

 _"As well it should," Strider said, looking around. "In a years time, half of them will be dead, and the other half will never be themselves again."_

 _"You should enjoy your life," the Ranger said seriously. "Find a lover. Settle down. Leave the fighting to the old hands."_

 _"Ha. Not on your life, old man. If anything, you're the one that should sit out. Those joints are going to start creaking soon," Strider said with a grin. The Ranger let out a small chuckle, shaking his head._

 _"After this war, perhaps," he said._

 _"I've taken up enough of your time. Take care, Ranger," Strider said._

 _"You as well, Strider. I am glad to have met you," the Ranger said._

 _As Strider made it upstairs, he heard a commotion below._

 _'Drunkards,' he sighed before heading to his room._

 _'Hmm. A Dúnedan in these parts. What're the odds? Probably should've hung around him a bit, but he seems busy. Maybe I'll run into him again in the morning,' Strider thought, yawning. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he looked over at his sword. It was beginning to chip._

 _'Another day, another blade. I'll have to find a more permanent replacement. A blade of renown - one that won't break just because it struck a few hard heads,' Strider thought. As he laid back down, he thought about the conversation he had just had._

 _'My birth name, hmm? Maybe after it's all done, I can look into that,' he thought. Closing his eyes, his thoughts wandered. 'How many years as it been since I started? How many already? How long will this take? How many at the end?'_

 _Pulling the blanket over him, he tried his best to fall asleep._

 _-o-_

 _Living in the wilds for as long as he did helped attune him to what was going on in his surroundings, even as he slept. He heard a panic in the streets outside as several horses neighed and clopped up to the Prancing Pony. His eyes widened; Black Riders had come._

 _'What business do they have here of all places?' he wondered. He considered his options; this wasn't the kind of enemy he could just attack in such close quarters. The collateral damage would be too high for him to stomach and he would be severely disadvantaged._

 _'I'm going to have to start training even more,' he thought, clenching his fist several times. He heard the door open and the shuffling of several metal boots. He knew the barkeep was still likely downstairs but heard no cry of pain._

 _'Looks like they're after something. The people in here aren't in any danger, at least,' Strider thought. He ducked down and looked underneath the door. The Nazgûl went past his door and down the hallway. He opened his door a bit and saw them enter another room at the far end of the hall. He couldn't perfectly discern what was going on inside, but he saw them raise their swords. He was about to make a move when he noticed something white erupting from the beds._

 _'Feathers?' Strider thought, telekinetically bringing one to him. He retreated into his room as he heard them shriek in disdain and run out again. A minute later, he saw their horses leaving below. His face pressed against the window, he saw another light across the street - and a worn face pressing against another window. He watched it until it went out._

 _'Is that you, Ranger?'_

 _-o-_

 _A couple of hours later, still at the break of dawn, Strider saw four little figures and one tall one emerge from the inn across the street. All of them wore cloaks, the tall one wearing a rustic green._

 _As they made to leave, Strider quickly ducked out of his room. Heading downstairs, he saw that several villagers were huddled together, talking about the recent events._

 _"I wouldn't recommend going out right away, sir. There's evil afoot," the barkeep said nervously._

 _"There's evil across the lands, I'm afraid. Stay safe," Strider said, rapping his knuckles on the counter before leaving._

 _His telekinesis did well in keeping rain and other particulates off of him, as well as dampening the sounds he made as he followed the others. He could barely see them in the distance and made sure to keep it that way, maneuvering the light fog to keep him cloaked._

 _'So they're going to Amon Sûl? Is that wise, Ranger? It's visible for miles around. While you might see others approaching, they'll see you. But no - you're not foolish enough to start a fire up there,' Strider thought._

 _Hours later, after tracking them to Weathertop and settling down at the base, Strider groaned in displeasure. Someone was foolish enough to start a fire up there._

 _'Damn it! I hope you told those halflings that was a stupid idea!' Strider thought. As he ran towards the hill, he suddenly heard a screech. Shivers went down his spine as he turned; only a couple of miles away, heading towards him at a breakneck speed was a horse as black as night. Strider erupted from the ground and towards Weathertop; whether or not he was seen now wasn't important. As he landed on the watchtower, he heard four screams._

 _"QUIET!" He hissed at them. They were the four Hobbits he had seen the night before. They all looked extremely young - younger than him, in fact - but he knew better. They were likely in their thirties or forties - still children by Hobbit standards. They had curly hair, dirtied but kind faces and fear etched into their eyes._

 _"Y-Y-You flew! Are you a devil?!" One of them demanded._

 _"The Devils are down there and they're fast approaching. Some Hobbit was stupid enough to light a fire up here!" Strider exclaimed. He saw one of them glare at the others, who retreated a bit. "Nothing we can do about that now. We need to run - quickly! I'll fly you al—"_

 _"No! We can't do that! We only just met up with a companion and he's taking us to where we need to be. We cannot abandon him!" one of them yelled._

 _"We don't even know who you are! How do we know you're not with them?!" another demanded._

 _"And what might your name be?" Strider asked the first Hobbit._

 _"I-I am Mr. Underhill," the man said._

 _"Underhill? I see. Very well, Underhill. Draw your swords, little ones. If you don't intend to flee, then you'll have to fight," Strider said, drawing his own. He turned around and waited, knowing what was coming up the steps._

 _"D-Do we have a chance?" one of the four asked._

 _"I certainly hope so. Where has the Ranger gone off to?" Strider asked._

 _"I-I think he went to look at the path," Underhill said. "He told us not to light a fire…"_

 _"Yes, I imagine he did. This watchtower can be seen from miles away. A fire burned here is easily discernible - the only orange glow on a night like this. That was foolish, but as long as we all survive, you'll learn a lesson," Strider said._

 _"What's your name?" Underhill asked._

 _"Strider," he answered._

 _"St-Strider?!" one of the others exclaimed. "But I thought that was the other one?!"_

 _"The only Strider I know is myself," Strider said. "Be alert! They're almost here."_

 _As soon as he said that, five figures appeared across the way. They wore black cloaks, metal greaves, gloves, and spiked boots. As hard as he tried, Strider couldn't discern any faces amongst them - only empty holes that lead to the abyss. They each gripped swords that were around 4 feet in length with black hilts and metallic crossguards. Not one of them spoke - they just regarded the Hobbits and Strider._

 _Strider's eyes jumped to each one before finally settling on the one in the middle. He was a few inches taller than the others, and it was this one that Strider felt the most power from._

 _"D-do we stand a chance?" One of the Hobbits asked?_

 _"What's your name, little one?" Strider asked._

 _"Merry," he breathed._

 _"Pippin," another said._

 _"Sam," a third said, the one who was closest to Underhill._

 _"I hope so. Good. You've drawn your swords," Strider noted, not taking his eyes off the figure. "That's good. You're willing to fight. Stay behind me as much as possible. I'll do what I can."_

 _Suddenly, Strider thrust his hand out. Four of the Riders were hurled back while the one in the middle just grounded himself. He screeched at Strider. The figure lunged but found his attack blocked by Strider. Strider went on the offensive, pushing him back a bit before pivoting back again to get his bearings._

 _"Angmar," Strider whispered. The figure tilted its head before jumping again. This time, he was joined by two more while two others went towards the Hobbits. Strider gritted his teeth and fought back his attackers, bursting them back with several telekinetic bursts. He rushed towards the other two and grabbed them by their cloaks and pulled them back._

 _"You'll have to get through me first," he spat, kicking one. It was as though he kicked a solid body, but he knew better; there was no person underneath that cloak. As another one lunged, Strider's shoulder checked him before bringing his head to his face. He hit him with another telekinetic burst, one that threw the figure off the top of the hill. He had reduced their number for the time being, but he knew it would come back soon._

 _"A once great king shouldn't be hunting children," Strider said, pelting them with fist-sized rocks. The relentless barrage scuffed the metallic bits they wore at best._

 _'Damn it! Orcs I can handle. Wraiths are another story,' Strider thought. He ripped two swords from them, but the other two held on. The one he had thrown off soon rejoined its fellows. Suddenly, Angmar raised a hand. He lunged quickly at Strider while the others made a beeline for the others, spreading themselves out. The Hobbits fought back as best as they could but were pushed into a corner quickly. Strider ran and leaped over the Nazgûl before pushing them back hurriedly. While they regrouped with Angmar, he approached them yet again, cutting the air around him._

 _'I need a better blade. I need to improve my Magic. Damn it!' Strider thought angrily._

 _Strider blasted a figure back before locking his sword with another. He began smashing it down on the sword of the other, who buckled. With a sharp burst, he hurled it tumbling back and out of sight, reducing their number to four again. Two others came at him from either side, but he managed to evade them in the nick of time. A third, however, managed to land a blow on him. The sword cut through Strider's cloak with ease and opened a gash across his chest. Strider exclaimed in pain before retreating a bit, his teeth clenched._

 _In his moment of recoil, he saw Angmar heading towards the Hobbits. He shouted before rushing again into the fight, putting some distance between them. Angmar stepped back a bit and recomposed himself._

 _"What're you gonna do?" Merry shrieked._

 _"Trying to figure that out," Strider said, gritting his teeth. "If you see an opening, run and don't look back."_

 _"You just might have to," Strider said, locking swords with another. It suddenly let out a loud and terrifying screech that grated on his ears. Strider didn't have to deflect Angmar, who suddenly lunged at him from the side. Strider let out an anguished scream as a dark sword penetrated his shoulder._

 _It was the most grueling and intense pain he had ever felt. His eyes shot open as his powers exploded. The Hobbits and the Nazgûl were all blasted back as red and black blood dripped from Strider's shoulder._

 _"STRIDER!" One of the Hobbits roared. He immediately retreated as several of the Nazgûl beset upon them. Strider leaped towards the Nazgûl, tumbling and knocking them down. He got to his feet again, slouched as the pain continued to snake its way through his shoulder and arm._

 _"Me…first," he snarled at his enemies. He lunged at one of them and rocketed it back for the third time. The Nazgûl remained undeterred, however; again they approached the Hobbits while Angmar went for Strider. As soon as Angmar was about to strike, however, he stopped and snapped his head up. As Strider looked back, he saw that one of the four had disappeared._

 _'Did he get away?' he thought. "Run, you fools!"_

 _They seemed not to have heard, though. As Angmar made his way over to the three, he leaned down before recoiling back. Bringing his sword up, he stabbed at the air in front of him. Strider heard an anguished cry of pain as the fourth one - Underhill - suddenly reappeared. Strider managed to get in one more attack that sent two of the Nazgûl hurtling to the side while the others remained grounded. Before he could attack again, however, he felt a warm sensation at his side. Looking over, he saw a figure approaching, a torch alight in his hand._

 _-o-_

 _As Strider woke with a gasp, he could feel the intense throbbing in his left shoulder. Looking over, he blanched; red and black blood had congealed with green herbs that left a sting. Looking around, he saw that he was surrounded by three of the halflings and the Ranger._

 _"Ranger," Strider said, heaving._

 _"Rest for a minute, Strider," the Ranger expressed in a gentle but authoritative tone. "Forgive me that I minute is all I can allow. We must move - quickly."_

 _"The fourth one? Underhill?" Strider asked._

 _"Already far ahead of us. My companion took him ahead. We have to go soon," the Ranger said._

 _"To where?" Strider asked, trying to get up. His knees nearly buckled, but the Ranger held him up._

 _"Rivendell. To the home of Elrond," the Ranger said._

 _"Rivendell. Elves. Let's go, then. Unfortunately, I'm not sure if my Magic will be of much use," Strider said, grimacing. His concentration was continuously corroded by the pain in his shoulder._

 _"Let's go, then. Is everyone ready?" The Ranger asked._

 _"Let's go," Sam said. He had a pep in his step, Strider saw; his companion seemed to be especially important to him. The other two followed Sam, each on high alert. Strider and the Ranger, meanwhile, hung a bit further back._

 _"Forgive me," Strider said through gritted teeth._

 _"For what?" the Ranger wondered._

 _"I'm just holding you all back. If you want to g—" he began before the Ranger shook his head._

 _"I will not leave you behind. You risked yourself to help my companions. Whatever may come, we'll see you to Rivendell," the Ranger said._

 _"Thank you," Strider sighed._

 _"You may have saved them all last night. It takes a special man to hold off one Nazgûl; to stave off five for as long as you did is a feat in and of itself," the Ranger said._

 _"It seems we only made it because someone came with fire. Was that you?" Strider asked._

 _"Yes. It was damp, but I managed to light a torch. Fire and water are what they fear," the Ranger said._

 _"I'll keep that in mind for next time," Strider said. He stumbled a bit but recomposed himself quickly, taking a bit of pressure off of the Ranger._

 _"You may wish to just rest after you are healed. As I said, you're young," the Ranger said._

 _"Ha. You're lucky this wasn't you, old man. Otherwise, I'd have to carry you to Rivendell," Strider said. The Ranger smiled._

 _"At least it hasn't dampened your spirit. That's good," he said._

 _"I didn't ask you last night - but what is your name?" Strider asked._

 _"Aragorn. Son of Arathorn," he said after a pause._

 _"Aragorn?" Strider asked, stopping. "My lord?"_

 _"At ease. We walk," Aragorn said, pulling him along gently. "I am only the Chieftain of the Dúnedain now."_

 _"You say that as though it doesn't mean anything," Strider said. "I admit, it might not be as glorious as king."_

 _"A great many things are more glorious than being a king," Aragorn said with a sad smile. "But we shoulder the responsibilities that we must. You are a Dúnedan, after all. You know what is required of you."_

 _"Yes," Strider nodded, looking ahead. "I wonder, my lord…"_

 _"Hmm?" Aragorn hummed._

 _"I hear Rivendell has a great library. I was thinking on my line last night," Strider said._

 _"I see. They may have some records, yes. But it'll be difficult without knowing who you are, exactly. You will be able to ask around, however. And if you learn something, tell me and I shall tell you what I can," Aragorn said._

 _"Thank you," Strider said, bowing slightly._

 _"You can hold off on the respects for later. Better we make sure we make it to Rivendell first. One doesn't know what might come out of the shadows," Aragorn said, looking both ways._

 _"Right," Strider nodded. He allowed himself to go on autopilot, enjoying the scenery as much as he could as they trudged along._

-o-

"So you were injured trying to protect others?" Mira asked. The others had been listening intently, not daring to interrupt.

"Yeah. Four significant people, as I soon found out. They were great at moving around unseen but weren't adept at fighting. If I hadn't made it there in time, I'm not sure what would've happened otherwise. Maybe they would've been rescued; but just as likely, they could've been killed," Strider said.

"Do you…regret it?" Jenny asked nervously. Strider took a deep breath before answering.

"When I first got stabbed, I think I did for a moment. It hurt. A lot. But no, other than that, I don't regret it at all. I'd do it the same way again if I had to," Strider said.

"Strider…can you show us?" Lucy asked softly.

"It's not a pretty sight," he said with a sad smile.

"We don't care," Juvia interjected. "We can handle it."

Strider shrugged. He pulled down the left part of his shirt and showed them the unsightly black splotch. Lucy and Jenny flinched while the others stared at it with hard eyes. Slowly, Juvia reached out to touch it. Strider knew what would happen as soon as she did, but didn't move to pull back. As she caressed it in what she thought was a gentle manner, he reeled back, a pained look flashing across his face.

"It's…extremely delicate. It's why I passed out when the spider struck me through it. A touch is jolting; anything more than that is too much," Strider said.

"That bad?" Lucy asked with a shaky voice.

"Unfortunately," Strider said.

"And there's no cure?" Jenny asked.

"Not that I've found, no. Ms. Porlyusica gave me something a few days ago that helped dampen the pain, though. I'll have to remember to get that recipe from her some time," Strider said, making a mental note of it.

"But what kind of weapon does that?" Lucy asked.

"A cursed blade. It was like a wraith blade; usable by only a few, extremely dangerous beings. The blade would mutate whoever was stabbed with it until they also became a wraith…or, at least, wraith-like," Strider said.

"So that happened to you?" Juvia asked, stunned.

"Not all the way, of course. Otherwise, I would never have made it to Ishgar," he said with a weary smile. "But the transformation began quickly. I had to be taken to a particular healer who was versed in this type of magic."

"So that's where you were heading to? What happened then?" Mira asked.

-o-

 _Strider was delirious for most of the journey to Rivendell. He kept phasing in and out, making sure to do his share of the lifting but unable to do significantly more. As they crossed what appeared to be a river, he finally collapsed, barely awake._

 _"We'll wait here. They must already know we're here," Aragorn said, sitting down._

 _"Are you sure?" Sam asked._

 _"Yes. I imagine Frodo is undergoing the healing process now," he said._

 _"Will he make it?" Sam asked._

 _"He should. He's powerful that much is certain," Aragorn said._

 _"It's our fault he's hurt," one of the Hobbits said._

 _"No…no…my fault," Strider sputtered._

 _"He doesn't want you to blame yourselves. He's aware of the risks involved. Strider is a warrior, after all. He has to know," Aragorn said with a smile. "Get some rest, little ones. There's not much else to do for the moment."_

 _As Strider heard them shuffle away, he slowly sat back up._

 _"A river…" he whispered._

 _"Bruinen," Aragorn said softly._

 _"We're close," he sighed._

 _"Just waiting now. They should be here soon," Aragorn said, looking back. "Do you know any Elves?"_

 _"A few," Strider said, breathing heavily. He wasn't in a very talkative mood right now. "Mirkwood."_

 _"I see. Thranduil," Aragorn said softly. Strider nodded._

 _"Bla—my sword?" Strider asked, looking around._

 _"I'm afraid we had to discard it. When they ran, one of the Nazgûl stepped on it and fractured it near the base. Was it special?" Aragorn asked._

 _"No, but I need a new one…now," Strider said, laying back down._

 _"You'll find some good blades here. For now, rest," Aragorn said._

 _As Strider closed his eyes, he heard horses from behind. He couldn't muster the strength to look, though; satisfied that he would be in good hands soon, he let the pain take him out._

 _-o-_

 _Strider could only remember flashes of what happened over the next couple of days. He went in and out of consciousness, seeing several different faces hovering above him from time to time. A few were notable; one was of Aragorn, who he could identify anywhere now; another was an old man with a gray beard and wise eyes; the third was of a wise and powerful elf that had black hair and a stunning headpiece. He recalled that he wore a velvety brown cloak and radiated like the sun. But the fourth face was the one that stuck most with him._

 _She was a beautiful elf - far and away the most beautiful he had ever seen. She was petite with long blonde hair, sometimes straight, other times wavy. Her creamy white skin always glowed. She had kind, light blue eyes and a serene smile that he saw whenever she hovered above him. The last occasion she had worn a beautiful lilac dress. But through it all, the most important piece of information eluded him: her name._

 _She tended most to him, he remembered it; followed by the Lord of the manner, then Aragorn and finally the gray beard._

 _As he was blinking, Strider felt a cool breeze in his room. He saw the beautiful elf approaching him again, a smile on her lips. He tried to speak, but no words escaped him. He tried to get up._

 _"Shh," she whispered, laying him back down with a gentle smile. "Rest," she said, closing his eyes for him. He heard a tinkling giggle as she caressed his cheek, followed by a cool feeling on his forehead. "Rest," she said again; and without compunction or delay, he obeyed._

 _-o-_

 _"It looks like you're doing much better," Aragorn said as he leaned against the doorframe, smiling at Strider._

 _"You seem to be doing alright yourself, old man. I hope the Lord of the manor oiled those joints for you," Strider said, sitting up at last. He leaned against the bed frame and inhaled deeply. A rich, petrichor smell filled the room - as though it had just freshly rained. Strider took a few more deep breaths and immersed himself in the gentle light that cast a glow on him. "Imladris. It's as beautiful as I've heard it to be."_

 _"And more, when you have a chance to look around. Are you well enough to walk?" Aragorn asked._

 _"I should be," Strider said, swinging his legs over the bed. As they touched the cool stone below, he exhaled delightedly. "Aragorn, I've decided. This is paradise."_

 _"That it is," Aragorn said with a laugh._

 _Strider gingerly got up and put on a robe that had been left out for him. As he and Aragorn walked around, he took care to take in all the sights. Aragorn kept the conversation nonexistent for the time being, knowing that it was an exemplary experience for those lucky enough to see it. Strider looked all around, taking in the beautiful architecture, the stunning waterfalls and scenery, and the interesting residents._

 _Strider almost collapsed in wonder as they stopped along a small bridge that traversed a river in the city. In the distance, he saw several large waterfalls, small patches of forest, massive mountains, and a beautiful sun overlooking all of it._

 _"Careful there. We don't want you falling into the water after all that effort in saving you," Aragorn said with a laugh._

 _"R-Right. This is…" Strider began._

 _"I know," Aragorn said softly. He was fond of the place as well. "Forgive me, but there is one piece of business I'd like you to accompany me on."_

 _"Of course, my lord. Let's go," Strider said._

 _Aragorn led him through Rivendell, to another room. On the far side of it, Strider saw an old man with a gray beard and long gray hair, wearing gray robes, smoking a pipe. As he noticed them enter, he ushered them over._

 _"And so you must be Strider," the old man said._

 _"Yes," Strider said._

 _"I am the wizard - Gandalf," he introduced himself._

 _"I've heard of you," Strider said, rubbing his chin. "You're quite an interesting old fellow, aren't you? I recall a story from Lord Thranduil involving a dragon some time ago…"_

 _Gandalf coughed on his smoke, grumbling as he turned to Aragorn, who stifled a laugh._

 _"Dragon indeed. I was hardly involved in that endeavor, as was Thranduil. That lies on the shoulder of others," Gandalf said. "Strider, I would like to invite you to a meeting that is to be held here in a few more days. It's a meeting that will decide the course of the rest of this war. Aragorn told me about your brave attempt to help the Hobbits."_

 _"I'm honored, sir. I'd be happy to attend. But…what exactly is it about?" Strider asked._

 _"You will find that out at the meeting as well. It'd be easier to explain when everyone is there at one time," Gandalf said. "Aragorn also told me something else that I found interesting - that you can use Magic."_

 _"Only telekinesis," Strider said, levitating a stool and table before setting it down._

 _"O-ho! That's marvelous!" the Wizard exclaimed jovially. "Who was your teacher?"_

 _"His name is Janus. He's the one who raised me," Strider said. He assumed that Aragorn had filled Gandalf in on the other details as well._

 _"I see. Interesting. Extremely interesting. A Dúnedan that can use magic. I never would've thought it possible," he said._

 _"Nor did I," Aragorn mused._

 _"Do you know any other Magic?" Gandalf asked._

 _"I'm afraid not. Telekinesis is the only one that I can use. I've tried Fire and Water but I can't seem to create the element - I can only manipulate it if it already exists," Strider said._

 _"Yes, I see. Versatile in one way, but useless in another. You're in luck, however. As long as something exists in this world, your Magic will be able to effect it," Gandalf said with a smile. "I must take my leave now. Until later, Strider."_

 _"Is he always in such a rush?" Strider asked as he saw the wizard live with a spry step._

 _"More or less," Aragorn sighed. "Come. I'll take you to the library. A new blade is already being found for you; it'll be delivered later tonight."_

 _"Wonderful," Strider said excitedly. "I meant to ask - how's the little one?"_

 _"Healing well. I believe he's still resting, however. His constitution isn't as high as yours. Still, he is resilient," Aragorn said._

 _"That's good to hear," Strider sighed. "I feared the worst had happened."_

 _"We all were," Aragorn said._

 _They walked a little while longer until they came to a beautiful domed building. Several elves had massive tomes, manuscripts, and scrolls in front of them, enjoying words of old. Aragorn led him to the third level, where genealogical scrolls were kept._

 _"Our line," Aragorn said as he pointed to a large section towards a wall._

 _"This could take me a while," Strider sighed._

 _"When you've lived as long as we have and have ancestors going so far back, it makes sense," Aragorn said with a light laugh._

 _"Intend on helping me?" Strider wondered._

 _"These old eyes aren't suited for reading, unfortunately. I don't want too pull a muscle reaching to high either," Aragorn said, taking his leave._

 _As Strider turned his attention to the books, he measured the daunting task in front of him. Settling down, however, he pulled a chair close and levitated some scrolls towards him and began to dig in._

 _-o-_

 _"Anything interesting?" Aragorn asked later that night._

 _"Plenty, but nothing relevant to me just yet. I can't make heads or tales of weather I'm nearing something or not. It'll take me some time to get through them all, but I should be able to," Strider said._

 _"If you remember anything, you can ask the librarian. She's out today, but she could be of immeasurable help," Aragorn said._

 _"I'll remember that. What's her name?" Strider wondered._

 _"Anairë," Aragorn said._

 _"A beautiful name," Strider mused._

 _"For a beautiful elf," Aragorn said._

 _"Perhaps not as beautiful as the one that's been attending to me, however," Strider said with a smile. Aragorn laughed a little but shrugged._

 _"Speaking of beautiful, your sword will be here soon. You ought to rest until then," Aragorn said._

 _"Right. You ought to take your advice. You want to be rested before sitting on the throne again," Strider said with a smile._

 _"First comes the war," Aragorn said, taking his leave._

 _-o-_

 _"Lord Elrond," Strider said, quickly bowing his head as he came across the legendary elf._

 _"Raise your head. There's no need to bow to me," the wise elf said._

 _"Thank you for treating me. I'm not sure how to repay you," Strider said._

 _"You've done well enough in helping the little ones. This was the least that I could do," Elrond said. "I'm afraid I do I have ill tidings regarding the wound."_

 _"I think I already know, sir," Strider said, looking at wrapped wound. He could see the blackened veins, like roots in the ground._

 _"The wound will follow you for as long as you live," Elrond said. "The most we could do is stem the spreading. But it will be painful for the entirety of your life."_

 _"Yes, sir," Strider said. He touched it; and immediately regretted doing so._

 _"Try your utmost to not injure it; the pain would enough to knock out even the mightiest warrior. That you were still cognizant after the attack is a remarkable feat in and of itself," he said, smiling._

 _"I'll do my best, sir," Strider said._

 _"Now, go rest. It's the best medicine I can give you now," Elrond said, taking his leave._

 _-o-_

 _As Strider was about to get settled in bed, he heard a voice call out._

 _"Are you busy?"_

 _"Not at all. Please, come in," he said. As she did, Strider felt his breath catch; he stumbled and nearly fell out of bed. With her straight blonde hair, light blur eyes, and gentle smile, he could place her anywhere. Against her lavender dress, she held a black scabbard._

 _"Hello. It's nice to see you awake at last," she said gently. As she walked towards him, Strider thought she floated._

 _"Y-yes. Hello. Please come in," he repeated. She giggled and gently pushed him down onto the bed, taking a seat at the chair near the headboard._

 _"Is that how you usually introduce yourself?" She wondered._

 _"Hello? Yes. Wait. No! Wai—well, yes," Strider said, fumbling over the words. This was a first for him. He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Sorry. Yes, I introduce myself with hello, but usually not this badly. My name is Strider."_

 _"Hello, Strider," she giggled. "I'm Anairë. It's a pleasure to speak to you at last."_

 _"The pleasure is all mine," Strider said. He tilted his head as his eyes fell on the scabbard._

 _"Your new blade. Lord Elrond personally pulled it from the armory after Lord Aragorn had informed him of your deeds," she said, laying it softly on the bed. Strider ran his fingers across the beautiful scabbard, to the simple black hilt. It had sharp crossguards that he wanted to poke but decided against doing so. As he unsheathed it, he felt his heart rate increase. The sword had a beautiful finish and was inscribed with ancient runes along the blade. It was as sharp now as it had been since it was created._

 _"From Gondolin. While it wasn't named, it's a sword that was passed down through the ages until it finally found rest here," Anairë said._

 _"Beautiful," Strider said, looking at her. She continued to smile at him, watching him sheathe the sword and gently lay it down._

 _"I was also told that you might need the help of a librarian," she said._

 _"Hmm? Yes. I've been trying to learn more about myself and my parents. Unfortunately, I've little idea of where to begin," Strider said._

 _"I was told as much. It must be hard for you," she said softly._

 _"I hadn't given it much thought until recently," he said._

 _"Do you have anything that might give us a hint?" She asked._

 _"Not really, no. I didn't have any possessions when I ran," he said._

 _"I see. You grew up in the east, though?" she wondered._

 _"Northeast, yes. Near Rhudaur," Strider said._

 _"I see. I will pull what I can in that context, then. It might take me a little while," she said._

 _"I'll help!" Strider volunteered immediately. She giggled at how excited he seemed but acquiesced._

 _"Very well. But tonight, you rest. I'll bring you your dinner," she said._

 _"Would you care to join me?" He asked._

 _"Of course," she said. With one more smile, she took her leave._

-o-

The other girls shifted a bit uneasily as he told them about her. He looked up at the sky, his eyes locked in on a particular star.

"Strider…" Erza said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Mmm?" He hummed.

"I think you ought to get some rest for now," she suggested.

"I ca—" he began before Mira cut him off.

"Erza's right. We can continue this tomorrow night," she said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Alright," Strider sighed. "Thank you."

"We'll see you in the morning," Mira said, quickly kissing him on the cheek before taking her leave. Erza, Cana, and Jenny followed while Juvia and Lucy contented themselves with hugging him for now.

-o-

As Bisca exited, she saw they were still outside the door.

"She's really important to him," she said softly.

"I know," Erza said, tapping the floor with her foot. "I asked him if he'd ever been in love before and he said once. I think he was referring to her."

"What happened?" Lucy asked, fearing the answer.

"Mira? Bisca?" Juvia asked.

"It's not our place to say," Mira said sternly. "Just be patient. This isn't easy for him."

"Do...you girls think we're being a bit hard on him? Making him go through this?" Cana asked.

The others dreaded the answer to the question. Without making any attempts at answering, they all said their good nights and went to their respective rooms, more depressed than usual.

-o-

As Bisca reentered, she saw that Strider was still outside.

"Strider," she whispered. As he looked at her, she saw that his eyes were blood red. Lips trembling, she quickly pulled him in for a tight hug. Strider's arms hung limp for a minute before he returned it. As he buried his face in her neck, she felt a slight wetness. Bisca held him closer than she ever had before.


	36. Heart and Blade

"Hey," Ultear said as she saw Strider approaching. She frowned as she saw how red his eyes were.

"Good morning Ultear. How're you?" Strider asked.

"Well. Are you alright?" She asked quietly.

"About as well as I could hope to be," Strider sighed. He quickly filled her in on what had happened.

"I see," Ultear said, shifting a bit. "That must be difficult for you."

"It's necessary, I suppose. While we're entitled to our secrets and privacy, I suppose it's give and take in a guild. I trust them enough to know," Strider said, running a hand through his hair. As he sat down on a tree stump, Ultear thought he looked older than he seemed. He seemed to guess what she was thinking.

"War adds on a few decades," he said quietly.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"You've nothing to apologize for," Strider said kindly.

"I've plenty to apologize for," she mused, sitting beside him. Strider gave a mirthless laugh.

"We live interesting lives in interesting times," he said.

"Way too interesting. I'm a proponent of boredom at this point," she sighed. She leaned a bit closer to him, gasping a bit as she touched his shoulder. "CRAP! I'M SORRY!"

"Hmm? Oh. That's my right shoulder. It's the left one that gives me trouble," Strider laughed.

"Oh. The apology stands," she said.

"So, Ultear…" Strider began.

"Hmm?"

"Found anything interesting?"

"About what?" Ultear asked, raising a brow.

"Me," Strider said with a knowing smile. "I imagine after what Jellal told you and Meredy, you've done some digging. Am I every bit as amazing as you thought I'd be?"

"Less amazing, actually. Barely any news about you," she giggled. Just as quick, she got serious. "You're not upset?"

"That you looked into me? Not at all. As meticulous as you three have been in eradicating dark guilds, I'd be surprised if you just took Erza at her word to trust me," Strider said.

"We had to make sure," Ultear said.

"I understand," Strider said placatingly. "But come on. You must've learned _something_ interesting."

"Just that the few jobs you've been on have been extremely lucrative. When we tried talking to Valmar villagers, though, we couldn't find anything. The man who posted the monster job in the Blue Mountains was pretty praiseworthy of your entire team. And we've heard some rumors about a flying wizard donating a heavy sum to the refugees from Alvarez. But that's about it. You're strong and apparently generous. Little beyond that."

"Ah, that was the perfect ego stroke. Thank you," Strider said cheerfully.

"Anytime," Ultear said with a laugh. She brought out her orb and rolled it around for a couple of seconds in her hands. "Shall we get started?"

"Lets," Strider said. He readied himself for what he imagined would be excruciating pain.

It was worse than he had imagined. Ultear suddenly felt the air around them still. She spoke out loud and it was audible only to her. She grimaced as she saw Strider on his knees, grasping at the ground. His eyes were wide open in pain, blood vessels popping. His right hand flew to his shoulder and his head hit the ground. As much as she wanted to know, she knew that she couldn't stop. She saw his mouth open in an infinite scream, but no sound came out.

After the excruciating minutes had passed and she stopped casting her Magic, Strider collapsed on the ground.

"Strider!" Ultear shrieked, rushing to his side. She pushed him on his back, grimacing as she saw how pale he seemed. Shuddering violently, he sat up at last. She put an arm around him and hugged his head to her chest, whispering comfortingly to him.

"It's ok. It's ok. It's over. Just relax," she said softly, rocking him a little.

"Right," he said quietly. "Forgive me."

"I do," she said, although she wasn't particularly sure what she was forgiving him for. "Just rest."

"Right," Strider said, breathing heavily. He closed his eyes and leaned into Ultear a bit more. The throbbing was intense, and as it radiated down his arm, he wondered if he had made the right choice. Concentrating a bit, he felt another sensation in his stomach.

 _'Interesting,'_ Strider thought. Immediately, however, the pain overcame his discovery. _'I'll try it later.'_

"Do you feel any different?" Ultear asked, helping him onto the stump.

"A bit," Strider said. "Although it could just be the pain. I might have to be careful in testing it out, however. Seeing the others Second Origins, it seems as though it amplified their powers to some extent. I don't want to go overboard."

"That's probably a good idea," Ultear said. She crossed her arms over her chest and deadpanned. "Maybe this _wasn't_ a good idea."

"Ha. I'll be careful," Strider chuckled. "Is that all?"

"Yeah. You ought to go get some rest now," Ultear said.

"Care to escort me?" Strider asked.

"Ha. You're a big boy. I'm sure you can make it," Ultear laughed, ruffling his hair before taking her leave. He smirked as he watched her go before heading back.

-o-

As he woke up, his shoulder was still throbbing. Strider clenched and unclenched his fist multiple times, wondering how amplified his Magic was now.

 _'Beleriand…'_ Strider thought. _'No. I need more power for that. Much more.'_

As he headed out to the balcony, Strider saw that Mira, Erza, and Bisca were already awake and deep in conversation. Wendy and Asuka played near the edge, laughing as Wendy tried to evade all of Asuka's shots.

"Hey," Mira said, leaping up and hugging Strider.

"Good morning. Talk about a greeting," Strider chirped.

"How do you feel?" She asked, leaning back and cupping his cheek.

"Well, actually. I think speaking last night was at least a little bit cathartic," Strider said. He heard the door blow open; looking back, he saw that Gajeel, Natsu, and Gray were making a beeline for his breakfast of champions.

"That's good to hear," Mira said. She piled on some food for him. "Here. You need your strength."

"Why do I feel like you're babying me?" Strider grumbled.

"You're so adorable. Can you blame me?" She giggled, pinching his cheek.

"You're speaking to a warrior of renown here," Strider said in a mock-haughty tone.

"Mr. Warrior of Renown better eat his breakfast before we have to scold him," Bisca said with a smirk.

 _'If the orcs had seen me like this, they would've died laughing,'_ Strider grumbled to himself before acquiescing.

"STRIDER!" Natsu exclaimed.

"What's up, Natsu?"

"We gotta get another job when we get back! A BIG ONE, ALRIGHT?!"

"Will do. You know, you guys impressed me against the dragons. The fact that you managed so long - and with minor injuries - makes me think that we can probably try an SS-Class after a little more downtime. What do you think, Erza?" Strider asked.

"It'll need Mira and Masters stamp of approval, but I think it sounds fun," she said.

 _'An SS-Class request? Hmm. I think only Gildarts has ever tried in the last couple of years. We should be able to pull it off,'_ Erza thought. "Mira?"

"I'll think about it. Natsu, Gray - do you really think you're ready for that?" Mira asked.

"Of course we are!"

"The Seis were definitely closer to SS-Class, I think," Erza said.

"That's true," Mira said. She leaned back, deep in thought.

 _'Erza and Strider should be fine, but I'm worried that Lucy, Natsu, Gray, and Wendy might not be able to pull it off,'_ she thought. As Lucy walked in, Mira posed the question to her, "What do you think, Lucy?"

"What do I think about what?" Lucy asked.

"Taking an SS-Class request," Mira said.

"WHAT?! WHEN DID WE SAY WE WERE GONNA DO THAT?!" Lucy asked, terrified.

"Just before you came in," Natsu said nonchalantly.

"We need some bigger jobs, Lucy," Gray mused.

"B-b-bu- ERZA?!" Lucy asked shrilly.

"It sounds fun," Erza said, smiling.

"STRIDER?!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I'll make sure you stay safe," Strider said.

"You don't have to if we just don't go! Why can't we do a nice job, like finding a lost puppy or something?!" Lucy whined.

"That's no fun," Erza, Gray, and Natsu said at the same time.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I'm sure it'll be fine," Mira giggled.

"Waaaah," Lucy cried, collapsing on her arms and bemoaning her team.

"I wonder if they have a job board here? It should be the same everywhere, right?" Strider asked.

"Yeah, I think there's one in the lobby," Bisca said.

"Mama!" Asuka cried out.

"What is it, sweetheart?" BIsca asked as she scooped her up.

"When can I go on a job?" Asuka wondered.

"You're a few years too young," Bisca said, tickling her.

"Aww," Asuka grumbled. "But I wanna go with Wendy!"

"Maybe we can find an easy job for her to do?" Mira suggested.

"Think so? Maybe when we get back home," Bisca said thoughtfully. Finally, she smiled. "We'll look for one when go back home. How's that sound?"

"Yay!" Asuka exclaimed. "Papa, will you come too?"

Bisca turned a bright red as Asuka yelled for everyone to hear. Mira, Erza, and Lucy smiled, but Strider sensed something behind their smile.

"Sure, Asuka. You'll need a bodyguard, after all," Strider said with a little laugh.

"Like a princess!" Asuka exclaimed.

"Like a princess, my lady," he said dramatically. Asuka giggled and ran across the table, tapping him on the head as though to knight him.

"Come on, Wendy! Let's play some more!" Asuka exclaimed, jumping down a few feet.

"Something tells me she's well on her way to becoming an excellent mage soon," Strider said.

"Are going to train her in Gun Magic, Bisca?" Erza wondered. Strider, Mira, and Bisca laughed as they saw the stars in her eyes as Asuka left.

"I think so, although I think I'll train her in more than just rifles. She's alright with her toy gun for now, and I'm not letting her near live rounds yet. But I think something that feels a bit more real would be helpful," Bisca said.

"I don't think I started learning my Magic until I was at least seven or eight," Lucy said thoughtfully.

"I was around the same age," Erza reminisced, recalling when she first held a sword.

"I think most of us were that age," Mira said softly.

"What about you, Natsu? Gray? Gajeel?" Strider wondered.

"Igneel started teaching me when I was pretty young," Natsu said, thinking back on it. "I was like five or six, I think."

"Same with me," Gajeel said gruffly.

"Think I was seven," Gray added.

"A blessing and a curse to start so young," Strider said softly.

"Blessing?" Mira asked.

"There's a chance you all might not have ended up in the same place at the same time if things didn't pan out as they did. Perhaps you would've been mature enough to not join such a troublesome guild," Strider said with a laugh.

"I'd tell you that you were wrong if you weren't so right," Lucy grumbled. "S-Class requests and two teammates that wreck everything!"

"Would you change it if you could?" Strider wondered.

"Of course not!" Lucy said, finally smiling again. "Fairy Tail was always my dream! I'd have wanted to come here no matter what!"

"It's lucky you met Natsu when you did," Mira said. She remembered Lucy's joining vividly - to her, it seemed less than a year ago.

"No kidding. I'm lucky he's such an idiot that he thinks that no one would notice a dragon in a port town," Lucy said fondly.

"HEY! WHO'RE YOU CALLING AN IDIOT?! SOMEONE SAID SALAMANDER WAS IN HARGEON, REMEMBER?!" Natsu exclaimed.

"Natsu… it's a _dragon_. Who'd miss a _dragon_?" Lucy asked.

"It's a good thing he's such a flamebrain," Gray agreed.

"Says the guy who can't keep his shirt on. Speaking of which, Gray," Lucy deadpanned, pointing.

"Gajeel's seems to be the most normal. Relatively speaking, of course," Strider said.

"HE KEEPS BREAKING OUT INTO SONG!" Natsu exclaimed.

"I PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT! ALL YOU DO IS SCARF DOWN THE FOOD!" Gajeel yelled back, scarfing down the food.

"Ugh, they're at it so early," Cana groaned as she came in. She kissed Strider atop his head before winking at the others and quickly hitting the bottle.

"Cana! I saw that! Are you alright, my love? She didn't get you drunk already, did she?" Juvia asked worriedly.

"I'm fine, Juvia," Strider said, patting her on the head. Juvia let out a pleasant sound before happily digging into her food.

"So, Strider - would _you_ change coming here if you could?" Mira wondered.

"Kidding me? Of course, I would. I can't even recall all the crazy things I've got caught up in since coming here," Strider said with a laugh. "Let's see - there's that time I tamed a huge bird, that time I had to kill a magic resistant monster, that time that we had to fight two angry deities, the time I met a dragon, the time I had to fight a dark guild, the time I had to fight a dragon, the time I was trapped in an alternate dimension for two months of real-world time - don't think I've forgotten that Lucy - and most recently, the time where we all had to fight off a bunch of dragons. Suffice it to say that if a supreme being exists, we're not very well liked."

"No kidding. Crap, and that's just since _you_ joined. Before that there was the time we had to fight a demon from the Book of Zeref, the time we had to fight Phantom Lord, when we had to fight the Seis, when…," Lucy continued, rattling off many other events.

"Seriously, though," Mira asked, smiling.

"I think you know. I wouldn't change coming here at all. I'm having the time of my life," Strider said.

-o-

As Strider entered Jenny's dressing room, he was greeted with a beautiful sight. Jenny was leaning over a desk, staring at herself in the mirror as she applied a luscious red shade of lipstick, wearing precisely nothing. She smiled and winked at Strider in the mirror, beckoning him to come over.

"Mercy. How angelic," Strider said.

"Hey. I'm glad you made it," she said.

"So am I," Strider said, leaning against the wall. "Shall I join you?"

"That'd give people the wrong impression if they walked in on us," Jenny said.

"I'm not certain that this is better. Besides, I never half-ass anything. Always go the distance is my motto," Strider said, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"I'm sure. But I could be called out at any moment," she said, fine-tuning the lipstick.

"Not like they can get in. Simple telekinesis. We want our privacy, after all," Strider said, locking the door with a sweeping motion. Jenny giggled and hugged him tightly. She buried her head in his chest, her hands slowly descending his back. She led him to the sofa and sat him down, taking her seat in his lap. She gave him a soft kiss before moving to his cheek and down his neck before finally resting her head against his, twirling his hair around a finger.

"How do you feel? Last night couldn't have been easy," she said softly.

"Alright, more or less," Strider said, running a finger up and down her thigh. "I don't think I've ever talked about what happened there in such a way. Definitely not to anyone here."

"Do you want to stop?" she asked.

"Do you want me to?" he countered.

"I don't. I want to know more about you," Jenny said quietly. She continued "but I don't want you to force yourself. It's not like you owe us - any of us - an explanation. I mean, you and I haven't spent much time together, for one."

"True. But I do happen to like you," Strider said.

"Feelings mutual," Jenny said, smiling. "But… I dunno."

"Perhaps some _quid pro quo_ , then? Tell me about you," Strider said.

"Like what?" Jenny asked, surprised.

"Whatever you want," he said.

"It's not that interesting of a story, really," Jenny sighed. "Normal family, normal kid. Normal upbringing, then I got scouted."

"Wow. Really?" Strider asked, aghast.

"Yup. Surprised?" Jenny giggled.

"You've no idea. That's the most normal upbringing I've heard of since coming here. You're even more special now," Strider said.

"That's because Fairy Tail is a bunch of freaks," Jenny said fondly. "Demons, Warrior Woman, Dragon Slayers, you."

"Ah. I'm glad I'm just _you_ ," Strider chuckled.

"You should've come to Blue Pegasus," Jenny sighed, nuzzling him. "Could've spent a lot more time together _and_ it would've been normal."

"Yeah, but Hibiki, Ren, and Eve are a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. I'm not sure I want to be around when that goes down," Strider said.

"That's rich coming from you," Jenny deadpanned.

"I resent that. That's mostly false," Strider said.

"Mostly?" Jenny asked.

"Mostly. I mean, you're naked and sitting on my lap right now. What exactly am I supposed to do?" Strider asked, giving her an intense look. "Well - besides the obvious."

"Don't get any funny ideas," Jenny said, blushing.

"Your wish, my command," Strider smiled, leaning back. Jenny got a bit more comfortable on him, tapping against his chest. It wasn't long until they heard a knock on the door.

"Jenny!" a woman voice called out.

"Yeah?" Jenny shouted back.

"That asshole is here again!" the woman replied.

"Hey, I resent that," Strider grumbled quietly.

"Not you," Jenny giggled. "Some other guys been hounding me since Day Two of the games. JUST SEND HIM AWAY!"

"What happened?" Strider wondered.

"He got this idea in his head that I looked at him while I was wearing that dress and that means that I want to marry him. He's been coming to our hotel since then, and now here," Jenny sighed.

"That's not good," Strider said.

"He's harmless. Not the first time, either," Jenny said.

"Ah. Miss Popular?" Strider wondered.

"Yup. Mira and I both," Jenny smirked.

"I bet," Strider chuckled. "I believe I ran into one of Mira's admirers one time. Not a good guy."

"Oh. Arthur?" Jenny asked.

"Something like that," Strider nodded.

"Yeah, he's an asshole. Rich family and he thought that that would give him everything he wanted. They went out a couple of times, but I don't think it ever really went anywhere. I do remember her telling me about him stalking her, though," Jenny sighed.

"Tried to corner her, as I recall. She took care of it pretty quickly, though," Strider said.

"Mira can be scary when she wants," Jenny mused.

"Wouldn't want to get on her or Erza's wrong side. The women of Fairy Tail are all scarier than the men," Strider said.

"No kidding. Jerk, I still haven't forgiven you for leaving me that night. I thought Mira and Erza were gonna kill me," Jenny said, punching him on the chest.

"You made it out alive. There's that," Strider said.

"Barely," Jenny said. She cuddled closer to him, resting her head against his, biting her lip.

"What is it?" Strider wondered.

"Nothing," Jenny said, suddenly kissing him. As she pulled back, Strider stared intensely at her. She wasn't one to feel self-conscious, but as his eyes pierced hers, she couldn't help but turn away, blushing madly.

Strider ran a finger down her back, his mind wandering.

 _'Anairë. She was blonde, like Jenny. Beautiful too. Kind, caring,'_ he thought.

"What is it?" Jenny finally asked in a soft voice, breaking him out of his reverie.

"Hmm?"

"You seemed really intense for a bit," she said quietly.

"Forgive me," Strider said, with a weak smile. "I should be focusing on you right now."

"Aren't you?" she wondered.

"You remind me of her," Strider admitted.

"The girl you were telling us about?" Jenny asked, surprised.

"Yes," Strider said quietly. He caressed Jenny's face, and for a moment, he thought she was her - but it soon passed. As Jenny came back into view, Strider couldn't help but be a little disappointed. "Forgive me."

"I do," Jenny said softly, hugging him. She rubbed his back gently, unsure of what else she should - or could - say. Finally, she settled on "She must've been really special to you."

"She was," Strider said, almost immediately.

"How far did you two get?" Jenny asked softly.

"Far enough," Strider said with a pained smile. "Not a day goes by…"

"I'm sorry. I wish there were something I could do," she whispered.

"It's not your fault," Strider said.

"Still, I don't like knowing I can't do anything about it," she said forcefully. Strider smiled and kissed her on the cheek, which she happily returned.

"Jenny - time to shoot!" Jason shouted from outside.

"Out in five!" Jenny shouted back. Sighing, she cuddled closer and closed her eyes.

"I kind of want to spend the day like this," she sighed.

"I'd be happy to oblige," Strider said, happy for the change in topic.

"Duty calls. And too bad we can't do anything," she whined.

"I don't know about that. I can work pretty quick," Strider laughed.

"I don't want to go out wet," Jenny grumbled.

"Oh? Speaking of which…" Strider said, running a finger down her stomach.

"Oh, don't you even think about it, asshole!" Jenny said, quickly grabbing both hands for good measure.

"Ha. As you wish. We'll save that for another time, then," Strider smirked.

"Ugh. Now I'm starting to regret inviting you," Jenny said.

"More or less than inviting me in naked?" Strider wondered.

"Oh, shut up," she whined. "Hey, there's something else. Mira mentioned you're going on a Century Quest?"

"That's right," Strider said.

"Are you insane? There's a reason why no ones ever completed one!" Jenny hissed.

"Ye a little faith, Jenny," Strider said placatingly. "I'm sure I'll be able to handle it. Besides, someone has to complete it some time, right?"

"They're legit dangerous," Jenny said worriedly. "Ichiya and Master Bob both went on a Decade Quest once, and they weren't able to complete it. A Century Quest is _way_ harder than a Decade Quest."

"That's what I've gleaned thus far. It seems as though Gildarts is the only one I can think of off the top of my head that's completed a Decade Quest and tried a Century Quest," Strider said.

"And that's because he's stupidly strong. I think you can do a Decade Quest, no problem; but I don't think you should try this," Jenny said, frowning.

"If I can take on dragons, don't you think I can handle this?" Strider asked.

"Still…" she trailed off. Strider smiled and brought her in for a gentle kiss.

"I'll be fine. I promise. I'm not going to take any unnecessary risk. I'll be in and out before you know it," Strider said.

"Let me know when you go. I'll come out to Magnolia," she said.

"Will do," Strider said.

"JENNY!" Jason called again.

"FINE! Let's go, Mister Champion," Jenny said, throwing on a robe.

"I will regret this for the rest of my life…" Strider sighed, steeling himself to fulfill his duties as champion.

-o-

"We look amazing," Jenny giggled, looking at the cover. In addition to her nude photo shoot, the cover was of her and Strider, holding onto each other as they looked deeply into the camera.

" _Fiore's Best,"_ Strider sighed.

"Could've had a better title, but it works," she said happily.

"I'll take your word for it. I'm never doing one of these again," Strider grumbled.

"Come on, don't be like that! Hey, let's go show this to the others," Jenny said. As though fate heard, they soon came across Mira and Erza.

"Hey, what's up?" Mira said, hugging Jenny.

"Just got finished with my photo shoot," Jenny said.

"Oh yeah. How was it?" Mira smirked.

"I think I won out," Jenny said, returning it.

"How so?" Erza wondered. As Jenny showed them the cover, Mira and Erza both shot a look at Strider.

"This is your fault, actually," Strider declared.

"How do you figure that?" Erza demanded.

"If someone else could've beaten me, I wouldn't have had to do such a thing. I'll never live this down," Strider whined.

"Your fault for being a freak of a wizard," Mira said.

"No kidding," Strider said.

"Come on, admit it - we look hot," Jenny said, clutching his arm. Mira and Erza looked on with stony faces as they looked at the cover yet again - as much as it pained them, the two made a good looking couple. Strider held Jenny close with an arm, her hands and head resting against his chest.

"Moving on. About tonight," Erza said uncertainly.

"Ah. Right. Yes, we'll continue," Strider said.

"Are you sure?" Mira asked worriedly.

"I am. As I said, I'd tell you as much as I can," Strider said, rubbing the back of his head. "Until then, though, I'm going to take a walk. I'll see you ladies tonight. Excuse me."

As he made a quick exit, Jenny, Mira, and Erza watched him go uncertainly. There wasn't much to say amongst them that they didn't already say - they felt guilty, but couldn't bring themselves to stop. With a look at each and an unspoken conversation, they did their best to forget about it until the night.

-o-

As Strider sat under a tree, his thoughts drifted to Anairë.

 _'Not a day goes by,'_ Strider thought to himself.

 _'You exacted your vengeance,'_ Anglachel whispered to him. The intrusion into his psyche made Striders' hair stand on end. Anglachel continued, _'Ah, the blood you spilled those days; the orcs, the giants, the trolls, the wargs, the spiders. Fallen men and women; the Black Númenóreans, the Haradrim. And the remnants of those aged lizards. The Tevinter, the Qunari. So many, Dúnedan. So many.'_

 _'Silence,'_ Strider thought harshly, letting out a low growl.

 _'It is the truth, Dúnedan. Ah, and we are not done yet. You are young, and the world still has so much blood to spell. A new age is coming. You can feel it; I know you can. Ah, we shall greet it with such a vigor. There's much work for us to do. You are not done. We are not done. Death will come to all.'_

"I SAID QUIET!" Strider roared, his magically suddenly erupting. The trees around him snapped at the roots, stripped of their leaves and branches. The river nearby smashed against the bank, flooding it slightly. The wind stopped, briefly, before resuming to billow through the forest again.

 _'Damn it,'_ Strider thought, looking at the damage.

 _'See?'_ Anglachel whispered. _'There will be opportunities to vent your anger. This I swear.'_

-o-

"It appears we run into each other often," Kagura mused as she came upon Strider in the forest, taking a stroll. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and gave her his usual, pleasant smile.

"So it seems. I hope you're not stalking me with your senses," he joked.

"Of course not!" Kagura exclaimed. "What were you doing here?"

"Just talking a little walk. Places like these… it's where I'm most comfortable. Fewer people, fewer distractions. Fewer everything, save what calls it home. Peace incarnate," Strider said, taking a deep breath as he looked around. Brisk movement could be heard throughout the forest, mixing with the songs and cries of unseen birds and animals. A soft wind whistled through the leaves, taking some for a dance through the forest. Kagura joined him and smiled; she hadn't paused to simply enjoy nature in a while.

"You're right," she said quietly, not wanting to disturb anything.

"What brings you here?" Strider asked.

"Nothing in particular. I simply wished to go for a walk," she replied.

"Care to join?" Strider asked.

"Certainly," Kagura agreed.

"A quick question. What's this rumor I've heard about an exchange between the guilds?" Strider asked.

"It's an interguild event that's held from time to time. Representatives from each guild are sent to neighboring guilds to foster a deeper relationship. They might go on a job together, or help around the guild, or something else. It's much more relaxed than it sounds," Kagura explained.

"That sounds pretty fun. Besides Jura, Jenny and you, I don't think I've really spent much time with any other guilds members," Strider mused.

"The norm, rather than the rule. Guilds partner up sometimes, and we certainly have friends in other guilds - but mostly, we stick to our own devices," Kagura said.

"Doesn't it get boring?" Strider asked.

"Not at all. Just the opposite. Besides, with Master Yoruichi, it's almost never boring," she sighed.

"Ha. I can understand that," Strider chuckled. "She has quite the presence."

"I know what you mean. I just hope it doesn't get her into trouble one of these days," Kagura mumbled.

"Yoruichi seems pretty intelligent. I'd be more worried for trouble, I think," Strider said.

"Perhaps," Kagura said. "Will you be participating in the exchange?"

"I'd like to, I think. It sounds as though it could be interesting, if not entertaining. Does each guild just choose envoys?"

"For the most part. Sometimes, up to half a guild participates and they rotate the envoys between guilds, so there's always someone to show them around. It is voluntary, for the most part."

"For the most part?" Strider asked.

"Some masters are _very_ serious about it. The events have been going on since they've been around," Kagura said.

"Will you be participating?" Strider asked.

"Likely not. I usually hold down the guild while Master and Soi Fon are out," Kagura said.

"In that case, I hope to see you when I rotate to Mermaid Heel. I'm curious about the members of your guild," Strider said. Kagura rolled her eyes as he smiled, eliciting a happy laugh from him. "Kidding. But really, I hope to see you. I imagine my team would come along with me, so perhaps you and Erza could settle your differences again."

"Now _that_ I look forward to," Kagura said with a competitive smirk.

"On that track, though - how did you feel about seeing Jellal again last night?" Strider asked. Kagura frowned, unsure of how to answer - mostly because she didn't know the answer.

"I don't know," she finally said, her voice soft. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Why would it?"

"On one hand, he killed my brother. I should want to hurt him back for that - for Simon," Kagura said. "But I don't want to become a murderer - especially if he was being controlled. But then I should want to kill Ultear - but she seems to have turned a new leaf. But if I don't, wouldn't that make me a terrible sister?"

She looked at Strider intensely, hoping that he might have the answer. He could, however, only offer her a blank look.

"I don't know myself," Strider said quietly.

 _'You lie,'_ Anglachel whispered. _'Ah, you would've slain him so quickly. You've done so already, Dúnedan. Remember your promise to him - even a semblance of impropriety, and you will break him.'_

"Violence is rarely the answer," Strider added.

 _'Bloodshed is always the correct answer. Our land knows peace now, does it not? The orcs, the Uruks, the lizards, the trolls, the giants, the Haradrim - all that which would be considered evil is hardly a threat any longer. The land knows peace. The people know peace. This you cannot deny. Death is the progenitor of peace,'_ Anglachel continued.

"If you killed Jellal, you'd regret it for the rest of your life," Strider said, gritting his teeth as Anglachel became louder and louder.

 _'The only regret I sense from you, Strider,'_ Anglachel said, using his name for the first time in years. Strider felt a terrible chill run down his spine as his heart began to pound, _'is that you didn't slaughter enough of them earlier. Fret not. Evil abounds in the wider world. Take it to task.'_

"I don't know myself," Strider finally reiterated.

"Are you alright? You look pale," Kagura said worriedly.

"Ah. Forgive me. Just feeling a bit off. I'm going to go back and rest, Kagura. Forgive me," Strider said.

"It's nothing," she said quickly. With an awkward hug, Strider quickly shot into the air and towards the city. With a sigh, she continued her lonesome walk.

-o-

Strider stood under the cold water, letting it run over him. Anglachel was resting against the wall. As much as he wanted to, as often as he wanted to - he couldn't bring himself to part from the sword; it was like having a limb removed.

 _'A country of slaves,'_ Anglachel whispered to him. Striders arms hung limply at his sides. As he turned to the sword, he could tell what it was thinking; he had had the same thoughts.

' _Don't be a fool,'_ he thought back to the sword.

' _I will be sated,'_ the sword said before finally falling silent for the rest of the day.

-o-

"Hey. Feeling alright?" Bisca asked softly as she joined him on the balcony. They were waiting for the others to arrive.

"I am," Strider said. "Sorry for last night. I didn't mean to spring that on you."

"You've nothing to apologize for," she said, rubbing his back. "If anything, _we're_ the ones that should be sorry."

"It's fine," Strider said. He smiled as Asuka ran at him, trying to climb his pant leg. He scooped her up and levitated a bit. Asuka cheered delightfully as she hugged him and began to imitate flying. Bisca looked on with a smile; he looked just like a father.

"Papa!" Asuka exclaimed.

"What is it?" Strider asked, smirking as he saw Bisca blush.

"Can we go flying tomorrow!"

"Of course. How high do you want to go?"

"To the clouds!"

"To the clouds it is, then. But you'll only have fun if you're well rested. That means you're going to have to sleep right now," Strider said gently.

"Mama! Let's go! I need to sleep for the clouds!"

"Let's go, sweetheart," Bisca said, taking her to their room. Strider smiled sadly as he watched them go.

-o-

Finally, as everyone had gathered there, Strider stood near the balcony again and overlooked the city. By now, he had forgotten how much time he spent like this - looking over the rest of the world. The others waited quietly for him to begin.

-o-

 _"Have you been enjoying your time here?" Anairë asked with a beautiful smile. She and Strider took a stroll through the ridges in the valley, stopping here and there to take in the beauty of the city and the waterfalls._

 _"Very much. It nearly ails me that I could be called away at any time," Strider said softly. "It's been a long, long time since I've felt this carefree before. It's surreal."_

 _"Rivendell is magical," Anairë said._

 _"It's not just Rivendell - of that I'm certain," he said, flashing her a charming smile. Anairë returned it but didn't say anything; they continued their walk._

 _As they reached more narrow areas, Strider began to lose balance. Anairë giggled as she saw him slow down considerably, as though nervous of falling._

 _"I thought your Magic could hold you aloft?" Anairë asked, gracefully spinning on the spot, unafraid. Strider grumbled and steeled himself._

 _"It can, but it seems to put some pressure on my wound. I've been slowly getting used to it, but it's still quite painful," Strider sighed. He looked down, frowning. "Besides, I can't always rely on my Magic. Aragorn doesn't, after all."_

 _"You're not Aragorn, though," she reminded him._

 _"An insult or a compliment?" Strider wondered._

 _"Both and neither," she laughed. "You're still a child by all our estimates. You're younger than the little ones, younger than the elves, younger than the dwarves, even younger than all the other men here. A baby!"_

 _"I'm a man!" Strider whined._

 _"A man wouldn't make such a face," she giggled. "Don't be so eager to grow up. Youth ought to be enjoyed."_

 _"I assure you I'm enjoying every second of it," he said. Anairë smiled, holding out her hand. Strider gently took it, gritted himself, and crossed the distance. He stumbled but caught him at the end, sighing at his good fortune._

 _"Where are we going, exactly?" she asked as they continued._

 _"I thought you were leading me!" he exclaimed, bewildered._

 _"What gave you that idea?"_

 _"You're the one who knows this place best!"_

 _"Hmph. And here I thought you were a man."_

 _"Ugh. Fine. I'm sure I'll find something," he sighed, rubbing his head._

 _"Now that I think about it, however, there is a nice spot near here," Anairë said._

 _"That was just to tease me, wasn't it?"_

 _"Of course," she laughed. Holding his hand, she quickly led him along. Strider wanted to protest at some narrow points, but he decided to shut up and trust her. To his surprise, when he didn't think about the crossings, it was as though he was walking along a vast plane. He easily crossed them with her help; and as she smiled back at him, he returned it._

 _Finally, after a silent hour of walking, she had led him through a small thicket of trees and uphill to a peak that looked over the entire valley. Strider was stunned; he didn't think that such a beautiful place could exist. There was a roaring waterfall nearby that she led him towards. The two sat at the edge, looking over the city below._

 _"This is amazing," he whispered._

 _"Isn't it?" she asked._

 _"But don't you ever get bored here?"_

 _"Not really, no. Mmm… I enjoy reading a lot, so I've done that in my spare time since I took up my position in the library. It keeps me occupied. But even if I didn't have that, I don't think that I'd get bored here. Are you?"_

 _"Not yet, no. I don't know, though - I feel as though a place as beautiful as this should be taken in short doses. I know if I were offered the chance to stay here forever, I'd take it in a second. But I don't know how long I'd last," Strider mused._

 _"Shouldn't the world be as beautiful and peaceful as Rivendell?" she asked._

 _"It should. I wish it would be. But I know it won't," Strider sighed._

 _"It may yet," Anairë said gently. "Your war will end soon, Strider. Then, you may live here in peace."_

 _"Is that an offer?" he wondered._

 _"It is," she said, smiling. "Will you accept it?"_

 _"I will," Strider said. He leaned in closer and kissed her gently on the lips. He heard her give a tinkling laugh. She brought a hand to the back of his head and pressed him closer to her. As she stroked his hair, he felt a pleasurable shiver go down his spine. He laid her down gently and induced more and more passion into the kiss. As they broke apart and stared at each other, Anairë brought a hand to his face. She gently stroked his cheek, smiling at him lovingly._

 _"What is it?" he asked._

 _"Nothing. Just pleased, is all," she whispered._

 _"I never knew an elf to be coy," he said._

 _"You've obviously never known an elf, then. We live so long, we have to have our fun where we find it," she said._

 _"I can think of a few fun things," Strider said, resting his hand on her stomach. Anairë brought him down for another kiss, taking his hand and locking it with hers. She pushed him on his back and mounted him, sighing as she saw him grimace. Gently, she removed his shirt and leaned down close to the black mark, frowning at is. To his surprise, she suddenly kissed it; and even more surprising, Strider hardly felt anything at all, besides a warm touch._

 _"How does that feel?" she asked softly, her forehead against his._

 _"Warm," he answered simply._

 _"And this?" she asked, kissing him._

 _"Warm," he answered again, their lips just an inch apart._

 _"And this?" she breathed, her slender fingers running down his torso slowly until they reached their destination. She paused for a second, taking a moment to give him a smoldering, loving look._

 _"Warm," he answered for the third time. She found the answer to her liking; gently locking lips with him once more, she slipped a hand inside and set him at ease._

 _-o-_

 _Strider lay in bed, Anairë alongside him. She wore a thin, sheer cloth, smiling gently as she dreamed of things he couldn't._

 _Making sure not to disturb her, he quietly got out of bed and went to the balcony. He had a beautiful view of some waterfalls and he enjoyed it every chance he could. He had to; he didn't know how soon it would be until he were called away. Looking back at her sleeping form, Strider smiled._

 _'This is paradise,' he thought. His time in the valley had been nothing short of peaceful. It was as though war and strife didn't exist; and here, they might as well not have. The elves and their visitors got along well; no fights, no scuffles, nothing. Merriment and cheer were to be had all around, at all times. It was a paradise he never wanted to leave._

 _It was a paradise he knew he would have to._

 _-o-_

 _As Strider got back to his room after the Council of Elrond, he found Anairë dozing off in his bed. He smiled and kissed her awake; obviously pleased, she gently tossed the blanket and brought him on top of her. As she did whenever they met, she exposed his black mark and kissed it, setting him at ease._

 _"How was the Council?" she asked softly, resting forehead against his. She enjoyed spending these moments with him, but knew they would soon be coming to an end._

 _"You know I can't tell you that. This is a secret mission we're on, after all!" Strider exclaimed._

 _"So secret, that even I - uninvited as I was - knew about it. Not a very well kept secret," she laughed._

 _"Give it until the end of the day, and I guarantee you that Pippin will have talked about it so much, that Sauron will know," Strider said. He sighed and kissed her again._

 _"I know," she said._

 _"Know what?" he asked._

 _"That you'll have to leave me for a while," she said._

 _"I might decide not to go," he said. Anairë smiled sadly and sat on the edge of his bed. Strider wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently. She brought his hands to her cheek, kissing them softly._

 _"I know you well," she whispered. "I know that you'll go. You're noble. You want to help people. Rivendell is to peaceful for you."_

 _Strider was quiet. He wanted to tell her that she was wrong; that she didn't know him at all and that he'd stay if she gave him the order. But he couldn't; it would've been a lie._

 _"Do you want me to stay?" he asked._

 _"More than I've wanted anything," she said softly. As she turned to him, she had tears in her eyes. Strider felt his heart crash; gently, he wiped them away, giving her a kiss on either cheek. Anairë hugged him close, stroking his hair as she enjoyed doing so._

 _"I want to stay. But…" he trailed off._

 _"I know," she whispered. "It's your calling, isn't it? To help those in need. I won't ask you to promise me anything."_

 _"You can ask me for anything, Anairë," Strider said. She looked at him, her light blue eyes drilling into his._

 _"Stay safe," she ordered him._

 _"I will," he accepted._

 _"Stay noble," she ordered him._

 _"I will," he accepted._

 _"Come back for me," she ordered him._

 _"I will. Happily," he accepted._

 _-o-_

 _"Strider," Anairë said._

 _"Hmm?" Strider hummed. They had only a couple more nights together._

 _"How has your mark been?" she asked._

 _"Better. Much better, actually," he said, moving his left arm around. While it still stung, the pain was severely diminished._

 _"That's good. You may have to endure it, but as soon as you're back, I can start treating it again," she said._

 _"I enjoy your treatments quite a bit," he said with a smirk._

 _"I'm sure you do," she giggled. "Remember to not do anything to risky."_

 _"Of course. I play it safe," he said._

 _"If that were the case, we'd have met under more auspices circumstances," she sighed. "Remember to not do anything to risky."_

 _"You just said that," he said._

 _"I have to make sure you heard," she said. "Remember that you're a good and just man."_

 _"I will," Strider said, giving her an odd look. Anairë looked almost worried as she said that._

 _"Please remember that for me. It's important," she said, her voice harder. Strider nodded._

 _"I will," he repeated. As he finished, the two went back to bed, kissing passionately and happily. They intended to enjoy these last few nights together as much as possible._

 _"Anairë," Strider whispered as he got her on the bed, breaking the kiss momentarily._

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"Marry me," he said. She looked surprised. For a moment, she didn't do or say anything. Finally, she brought her hands to his cheeks and kissed him again, gently._

 _"Say it again," she said._

 _"Marry me. When I see you again, when this is all over, when all of this is done. I love you. Marry me," he said passionately. Anairë paused for a moment before smiling._

 _"I will. Happily. Now show me that you love me," she ordered him. Heart soaring, Strider obeyed._

 _-o-_

Strider recalled the stories to them - as he remembered them - and he remembered them well. As he ended, the girls saw that tears were falling like waterfalls, pooling at his feet. None of them dared to say anything; they gave him this moments reprieve as his eyes affixed on a particular star in the sky.


	37. Seeds of Hate & Fury

**I hope everyone enjoys this chapter. As the year draws to a close, my annual re-reading of Lord of the Rings draws nearer and nearer. This year, though, I'm going to be expanding it to the entire legendarium. That means taking meticulous notes! Don't worry, there won't be another rewrite. I am going to go be going in an making a few edits here and there beginning next year and cleaning up (and expanding) some prose. But the story will continue as is for a long time!**

-o-

"You loved her. A lot," Mira finally whispered.

"I did," he answered, his voice quivering. "So very much."

"I'm sorry," Bisca said.

"Not your fault," Strider said shortly, wiping the tears. Composing himself, he continued.

-o-

 _Rivendell was always beautiful, Strider thought; more so now than he ever could've imagined. A soft breeze floated through the open-air room. The soft rushing of distant waterfalls could be heard, as well as the peaceful rumble of a nearby river. Sunlight shone through the open roof and always fell perfectly - never on his face, never concentrated, but always casting a warm glow throughout._

 _Anairë lay at his side, her beautiful face at peace. Her lips curved into a smile and her hair - even while asleep - was correctly in place. He didn't know if it was the magic of elves or unique to her. Not wanting to wake her, Strider carefully and slowly got out of bed._

 _As he went out for a walk, it wasn't long until he ran into Aragorn. He was sitting on a stone bench, reading a book; in front of him were the Shards of Narsil._

 _"So this is the famous blade," Strider said, examining it._

 _"Indeed," Aragorn said, looking up. Strider noted the wistful look he had but didn't comment. Aragorn continued, "Welcome back. I take it that your mission was a success?"_

 _"Ha. You bet. I'll give it to her before we go." Strider said with a grin before turning back to the sword._

 _"May I?" Strider asked, pointing to the hilt._

 _"You do not need to ask my permission," Aragorn said._

 _"It belongs to you, o' king o' mine," Strider said with a laugh. He grabbed the hilt and rolled it around a bit._

 _"You don't seem impressed," Aragorn said._

 _"It's a beautiful blade, but it's not right for me. For an older hand, I think," Strider said._

 _"How are you enjoying Rivendell?" Aragorn asked._

 _"Loving it," Strider said with a smile. "I almost don't want to leave."_

 _"You can stay, if you wish," Aragorn suggested._

 _"Not a chance. No, I have to go. The quicker we get our job done, the quicker I can get back here," Strider said._

 _"You and Anairë seem to be getting along quite well," Aragorn mused._

 _"Better than well," Strider answered, his voice almost dreamy. "Rivendell is paradise. Nothing comes close."_

 _"I do not argue with that," Aragorn said, looking around._

 _"A book of legends?" Strider wondered, flicking the book up a bit._

 _"Even Middle Earth has some areas that remain uncivilized, uninhabited, or otherwise unexplored. It's entertaining to think about what may be," Aragorn said._

 _"Do you plan on branching out once you reclaim the throne?"_

 _"There's no guarantee that I will," Aragorn said._

 _"We intend to see that done. Don't we, Legolas?" Strider asked._

 _"We do," the elf said as he quickly jumped a rail and sat down on the stone bench._

 _"Denethor won't easily give it up, but I'm sure he'll see reason," Strider said._

 _"You've not spent a day in Gondor, yet you already seem to know the Steward," Aragorn mused._

 _"There's a lot to read here," Strider said._

 _"Yes, I'm sure you've been reading a lot these past few days," Legolas said with a laugh._

 _"I'm not sure what I said that was so funny," Strider mumbled._

 _"It's not exactly a secret, laddie," Gimli said as he came up behind Strider._

 _"Not you too," Strider groaned._

 _"Perhaps if you spent more time getting ready and less time planning your nuptials, we wouldn't have to tease you," Legolas said._

 _"Nuptials! Where'd you hear that?!" Strider asked, aghast._

 _"Rivendell keeps no secrets," Aragorn said with a smile._

 _"Ugh. Bastards. I'll remember this," Strider grumbled._

 _"Only having some fun. Just at your expense," Legolas said._

 _"That's the problem. I'd rather we tease Aragorn. Much more fun," Strider said._

 _"You got time, laddie. Don't rush into it. Not a good mistake to make," Gimli advised._

 _"More than one elf has an eye on you," Aragorn added._

 _"I'm gonna take my leave before I attack you all with this sword," Strider said as he sulked away, red at their raucous laughter._

 _-o-_

 _"I hear the teasing has been relentless for you," Anairë giggled as Strider joined her in the library._

 _"You've no idea," he grumbled._

 _"I don't know why you're not exclaiming it to the world. Don't you love me?" she asked in a mock-dejected tone. Strider quickly kissed her._

 _"I wouldn't even joke about something like that," he whispered as he broke away. She saw that his eyes were full of passion._

 _"I know," she said quietly._

 _"So, found anything?" Strider wondered._

 _"Nothing," Anairë sighed. "I'm sorry. I was certain there would be something, but even with all these records…"_

 _"It's fine," Strider said, kissing her cheek._

 _"It's not. A man should know his family," she said softly._

 _"I'm sure I'll come across something. There are other libraries, after all. Perhaps something in one of the Dúnedain strongholds in the north."_

 _"That may be a good idea," she whispered. Her fingers traveled up his chest, resting on the locket that he wore. "Is it special to you?"_

 _"Mmm, something like that," Strider said._

 _"Something like that?"_

 _"It's something I wear to help me with my telekinesis. I made a stupid decision a long time ago, so my mentor created this for me - a reminder that I wouldn't make another stupid choice again. Obviously, it didn't help," Strider sighed, nodding at his shoulder. She giggled and pulled his shirt off his shoulder, giving it a tender kiss._

 _"You say mistake; I say a happy accident. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had to look at you, and we may not have met," she said._

 _"When you put it like that, I'd make the same choice over again. Maybe even quicker," Strider said. He gently pushed her back against a bookcase and kissed her, eliciting a giggle. She quickly pushed him off._

 _"As much as I love to love you, this is a sacred place. We cannot desecrate it," she said._

 _"As you wish," Strider said. "Anyways, I'll leave you with your duties for now. I'm going to come up with ways to avenge my manhood on Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli. Ha! I might be younger, but I'm also much sprier!"_

 _Anairë smiled as he went off. As soon as he was out of sight, another elf approached her. She offered the arrival a smile; she was just as beautiful, with long, raven hair and moonlight skin._

 _"Lady Arwen," Anairë bowed._

 _"You seem to have taken quite the shine to Strider," Arwen said._

 _"I have, my lady. I don't know how to explain it," Anairë said with a gentle blush._

 _"That's how you know it is true love," Arwen said softly. "But… you know what awaits you?"_

 _Anairë's smile fell as fear gripped her heart. But as she saw his smiling face in her mind's eye, another, warmer hand eased around her heart._

 _"Yes, my lady," she whispered. "But even so, I cannot change what I feel. The time that I spend with him already makes me feel younger, lighter. I would give it all for him."_

 _"Are you certain?"_

 _"I am, my lady. More certain than I've been about anything," Anairë responded._

 _"Then you have my blessing," Arwen said with a smile. Anairë returned it before helping her find the book she was looking for._

 _-o-_

 _"Ah! You four are looking much better. How are you, Mr. U- Frodo, I mean," Strider said, sitting on a fifth chair near the Hobbits. Pippin passed him a pint which he sipped slowly._

 _"Doing alright, all things considered. Mr. Frodo here's pretty tired, though. That cursed mark…" Sam trailed off._

 _"Don't I know it," Strider sighed, showing them his splotchy black mark. "It'll ease out though. Just give it time. Once we get done with this little job, it'll be smooth sailing."_

 _"You sure 'bout that?" Pippin asked._

 _"Pretty sure. You'll be legends when this is done," Strider said with a grin._

 _"Legends? I like the sound of that," Pippin said in his cheerful tone._

 _"Don't start thinkin' about the songs they'll write about you just yet, Pip. Gotta finish the job first," Merry reminded him._

 _"Ah, don't worry 'bout it, Merry! Strider, Legolas, Gimli, Aragorn, Boromir, and Gandalf! How hard could it be?" Pippin asked merrily._

 _"He doesn't really get it, you see," Merry sighed. Strider just chuckled; he liked the behavior of the Hobbits._

 _"Just remember: getting Frodo to Orodruin is our priority. That said, I don't want any of you taking any unnecessary risks or trying to get your names in the history books. That'll come with the completion of our task. But it's better that you all live to hear your songs, understand?" Strider said, a bit more serious._

 _"Aye, we hear you," Merry nodded._

 _"Don't worry, Mr. Strider. We'll keep Mr. Frodo safe!" Sam said earnestly._

 _"I know you will, Sam. Frodo's got some good friends, obviously. Who knows, we might finish this whole adventure in a year. Didn't it take Mr. Bilbo that long?"_

 _"Just about," Frodo nodded. "He's in Rivendell. Would you like to meet him?"_

 _"Would I?! Of course! It's not every day you get to meet a living legend," Strider said excitedly. The Hobbits laughed at his excitement and acquiesced. The troop snaked through Rivendell until they finally reached an old man sitting on a bench, listening to a melody the elves made for him. As he spotted them approach, he gently got up, his joints creaking._

 _"Frodo, my lad! Good to see you, good to see you. And I see you've brought company," Bilbo said, smiling up at Strider._

 _"It's an honor. Mr. Baggins," Strider said, bowing to the old man._

 _"No need to bow to me, no need to bow to me. What'll people say?" Bilbo laughed._

 _"They'll say that I ought to bow to a legend," Strider said with a smile. "I've heard the tale about the dragon. It's something else, really."_

 _"Ah, those days," Bilbo reflected softly. "So much adventure. So much fun! But in the end, so much grief…"_

 _"Forgive me. I didn't mean to bring up unpleasant memories," Strider said gently._

 _"Nonsense. Thorin would've had me struck if I mourned him any longer! No… those were good times. The best of my life, that much is certain," Bilbo said. He ushered them to the bench. The others sat on the ground around him, looking up with bright eyes._

 _"One thing to always remember, lads - when you get a chance, an opportunity - seize it! I did and I'm better than I would be in every sense. It might be risky, it might be dangerous - but you'll always think 'What if?' if you don't take it. Take it," Bilbo said sagely._

 _"What was it like facing Smaug?" Strider wondered._

 _"Oh, it was terrifying," Bilbo recalled, although his sly smile betrayed the fact that he seemed to have enjoyed it after all. "He spoke to me like he respected me - as a dragon usually will. One has to know better, though. They can cast a spell over you; you have to be able to break it if necessary. And never - never! - tell a dragon your real name."_

 _"I don't think we'll be encountering any dragons on our journey, Bilbo," Frodo laughed._

 _"Dragons still exist, don't they?" Merry asked._

 _"They do, but in fewer numbers than before. They seem to stick to the north and east, not much over here," Strider said._

 _"He's right, you know. Lord Thranduil knows all about the dragons of the north. But a dragon is a dragon, boys; always dangerous!" Bilbo exclaimed._

 _"Erebor is still around, isn't it?" Sam wondered._

 _"It is. Still thriving, in fact - with Dain still ruling as king! And Brand, son of Bard the Bowman & Dragon Slayer, in Dale," Bilbo said._

 _"It's an impressive tale. Something that could only happen in real life, I think," Strider chuckled._

 _"Oh, I believe it. No one would ever expect a Hobbit, of all people, to be in the middle of this story!" Bilbo laughed._

 _"I almost don't believe it," Frodo sighed._

 _"Cheer up, Frodo. We're all going to see this done. Right, Aragorn?" Strider asked, looking behind. Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli had pulled up on a bench near them, with Gandalf off in the distance talking to Elrond; and Boromir approaching._

 _"Of course. We all need to be back here as quickly as possible for Strider's wedding, after all," Aragorn said._

 _"That's it! Get ready, old man! I'm kicking your ass!" Strider exclaimed, handspringing up._

 _"Now, now - this is a place of peace," Gandalf laughed._

 _"Come. There is much to discuss," Elrond said, coming up behind him._

 _-o-_

 _"More talks and meetings?" Anairë asked as Strider joined her for a late dinner._

 _"So many. I don't know why I have to keep attending them, honestly. I'll just blaze a path like I always do," Strider said, grinning._

 _"I thought this was supposed to be a mission of secrecy?" Anairë asked._

 _"So they say. Not sure why they brought Pippin and me on, in that case. We're about as loud and brash as it's possible to get," Strider laughed._

 _"Such irreverence for the task," Anairë giggled. "But you're more serious than you let on, I think."_

 _"What gives you that idea?" Strider asked._

 _"Just a thought for now. Granted, you've been nothing short of jubilant since you got here. Perhaps it's because you're still such a baby," she laughed._

 _"Hey, I resent that," Strider grumbled._

 _"Undeniably true. You're less than half Frodos' age, are you not?"_

 _"I suppose so…"_

 _"And Merry and Pippin and Sam are certainly older than you. Aragorn, Gimli, Boromir, and Legolas undeniably are. And Gandalf is Gandalf. So you truly are the baby of the bunch!"_

 _"Ugh…"_

 _"Don't fret, don't fret. You're the most handsome as well. Does that make you feel better?"_

 _"So much better," Strider said, grinning. He leaned across and took her hand in his, giving it a soft kiss. "Only a few days left."_

 _"I know," she said, returning it in kind. "But we will see each other soon enough. I have my own journey coming up."_

 _"What? Really?" Strider asked, surprised._

 _"Indeed. Lord Elrond has given me leave to do what I can to help other citizens. I will be traveling east, not long after you all set out," she said smiling._

 _"That means…" Strider said, brightening up._

 _"That we will see each other soon, yes," she said happily._

 _"Where to?" Strider asked._

 _"It's a small town close to the Misty Mountains, just north of your road, called Roverandom," Anairë said. Strider telekinetically brought a map to him and pored over it, grinning as he found it._

 _"Perfect. That's just before we enter the Mountains, too. I can navigate them easily enough, so the others will go before me and I'll join them on the other side. It'll give us a chance to stock up as well," Strider said excitedly._

 _"I'll be sure to bring something you all can use," she said sweetly._

 _"Will it just be you? Or will there be other elves as well? It's pretty close to the Mountains…" Strider trailed off._

 _"Just I. It's better to keep the party size as small as can be; we don't want to draw attention," she said._

 _"True enough. Stay safe," Strider said seriously._

 _"I will," she said softly._

 _-o-_

"The mountains. Is that where she…?" Mira trailed off.

"No," Strider answered softly. "It happened in the village. By the time I got there, there wasn't anything that I could do."

Before anyone could interrupt again, he continued.

-o-

 _"About ready?" Aragorn asked, standing in the doorway. It was the night before._

 _"Just about. I feel something, though. I'm not sure what it is. An unease," Strider said softly._

 _"I feel it as well," Aragorn said. "It's the feeling all men get before they venture into the unknown."_

 _"No, it's not that. I already know that feeling, and I don't mind it. But it's something else… something…" he trailed off. To his surprise, Aragorn laughed._

 _"Oh. That feeling? That's the feeling you get when you have something you don't wish to leave behind, no matter what. It's another feeling all men get; a nicer feeling, one that strengthens you," Aragorn said._

 _"That sounds correct," Strider chuckled. He unsheathed his new sword; one of a beautiful elvish make, from Gondolin. The blade glistened as brilliantly as on the day it was forged. He tightly wrapped his hand around the grip and swung it around a few times, grinning at how light it felt in his hands._

 _"A beautiful gift," Aragorn noted._

 _"Very. You sure you don't want something like this?" Strider asked._

 _"My sword has been my companion for as long as I can remember. I will not abandon it," Aragorn said, caressing it._

 _"It's a sword, Aragorn; not a person," Strider said._

 _"Once you spend such intimate time with a weapon, it takes on a persona of its own. Perhaps you'll learn that on our travels," Aragorn said._

 _"Speaking of which, are you sure that'll you nine will be able to make it to the other side of the Mountains without me?"_

 _"Make it without you? Ha! You'd draw much attention to us," Boromir laughed as he passed by their room._

 _"Why that…" Strider grumbled, eliciting a chuckle from Aragorn._

 _"It'd be better for us all to be able to have our supplies replenished once we leave the mountains. I encourage this route. Just don't languish for to long," Aragorn said._

 _"Yes, sir," Strider said._

 _"Until tomorrow that," Aragorn said. As he left, Anairë came in. She smiled and hugged her beloved._

 _"Tomorrow, then," she said._

 _"Yes. But I'll see you soon enough," Strider said._

 _"Good. I'll be sure to have enough food for the little ones," she laughed._

 _"I'm not sure that even you're strong enough to carry that much," Strider chuckled. He brought her in for a kiss that she happily returned, gently caressing his cheek._

 _"I'll miss that the most, I think," Strider said._

 _"As will I," she whispered. She took the sword from his hand, sheathed it, and led him towards their bed. As they got settled, she rested her head on his chest, gently tracing along his stomach._

 _"Don't do anything foolish," she whispered._

 _"I know," he whispered. She got on top of him, taking his face in her hands._

 _"On your journey, you'll face so many trials and tribulations. When I see you again in a few weeks; and when I see you again after all is said and done, I want to see you. I want to see the man that I fell madly in love with. I know that changes happen, but I want to see you again as I see you now. Promise me," Anairë said. Strider was silent for a moment before he smiled._

 _"Of course. I know what you're saying. I promise, Anairë. I'll be the same man I am now," he said._

 _"Jubilant. Happy. Optimistic. Loving. Carefree. That's the man that I love. Stay like this. Always," she said._

 _"I will. I promise I will," he said. Anairë smiled, satisfied with his answer. She leaned down and kissed him passionately, letting him flip her onto her back and take control. She wanted to make this night a passionate one._

 _-o-_

 _"Do you have everything?" Anairë asked. Strider was packed and ready to go, heading out to meet the rest of his companions._

 _"Just not the one thing I can take along with me," he sighed._

 _"I'll see you soon," she giggled. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. As they separated, she gave him a warm look. "I love you."_

 _"And I love you, too. So much," he whispered. He gave her a quick kiss before quickly turning around. "Alright! If I spend any more time here, I'm gonna end up calling this journey off!"_

 _"Ha. In that case, I'll save it for when we next meet. Remember to stay safe and keep yourself healthy. Otherwise, you may not be able to satisfy me as well as you have here," she giggled._

 _"Oh, don't worry about that. You won't be able to get back to Rivendell without my help next time," he said smugly, eliciting a happy laugh from her._

 _"We'll see about that," she said, smirking._

 _"Before I go, though, there's something I have for you," Strider said. He pulled a beautiful, mithril crown from his pack. Anairë looked at it, stunned; particularly, she was drawn to the grandiose, bright blue jewel set in the middle. The links were woven through each other meticulously, to the point that it seemed almost impossible._

 _"This is…" she trailed off, gently caressing it with her fingers._

 _"Do you like it?"_

 _"Like? I absolutely love it. I don't know what to say," she said. Strider smiled as he helped put it on her head._

 _"Perfect," he whispered, kissing her. Anairë poured everything she had into the kiss; it nearly left him stupefied as they separated._

 _"Go on, my love," she whispered, giving him one more for the road. He smiled and returned it before setting out._

 _-o-_

 _"You're languishing, Strider," Aragorn chuckled as they finally exited the hidden valley._

 _"Gandalf - I need some medicine. My heart…" Strider moaned._

 _"Perhaps nine would've been a better number," the old wizard grumbled._

 _"Perhaps you can whine Sauron to death?" Boromir suggested._

 _"He just might," Legolas laughed._

 _"Keep up, laddie," Gimli ordered. Strider grumbled but did as they asked; finally, after they were so many miles away, he stopped looking back and fixed his eyes on the distance. They had several weeks of road travel in front of them._

 _"Are we really sticking to the grass? Not the road?" Pippin asked._

 _"We don't know what may be on the road. This is the safest bet," Strider told him._

 _"Couldn't you just flick 'em outta the way or somethin'?"_

 _"We want to avoid raising any suspicions, Peregrin Took. That means we want to avoid flicking anyone, anywhere - least of all in a direction that might not be friendly!" Gandalf said._

 _"Besides, it's nice here, isn't it? Open sky, green grass, and the Misty Mountains before us. Cheer up, Pip!" Strider laughed, clapping him on the shoulder._

 _"You sound far too cheerful for a person on this kind of mission," Aragorn mused._

 _"Would you prefer me moping around?" Strider wondered._

 _"An excellent point. Stay cheerful," he said._

 _They continued to make good progress on that day and the next and the one after that. It was still long until the Misty Mountains began to come into view. But at least now they could see how far they still had to go._

 _"Beautiful, isn't it?" Strider asked as they stopped for camp. He leaned against a single tree in a large plane, admiring the snow-capped peaks._

 _"Certainly. I remember having to save that troop of dwarves there seventy-seven years ago. A fine mess they had gotten into!" Gandalf exclaimed._

 _"Weren't you the one that led them to that mess?" Strider asked._

 _"I don't know what you're talking about. I was hardly even involved," the wizard said coyly._

 _"Right…" Strider trailed off. He turned his attention to the north, scanning for any signs of life._

 _"The village is close to the mountains, so you will not see it from here. Easy to cross in a few days with a good horse," Gandalf said._

 _"I just hope we find a good horse there. Perhaps we should've brought some?" Strider said._

 _"Horses would draw attention. And we'll likely come across some farms along the way. I'm certain at least one will be willing to lend you a mare," Gandalf said._

 _"And if they don't, Strider will have no problem running the distance if it means making it to his bride-to-be in time," Aragorn said with a chuckle. The others joined in on the laughter, turning Strider a bright red._

 _"Oh, keep it up old man…" he grumbled._

 _-o-_

 _"Wow. They are tall," Pippin said as they got closer. They were only a couple of days out._

 _"Beautiful," Strider whispered._

 _"You've said that every hour for the last few days. We get it," Boromir sighed._

 _"Strider, with me. There's a river nearby. Let's catch lunch," Aragorn said._

 _As they made their way over a hill and to the river, Strider telekinetically levitated some fish out of the water._

 _"The old-fashioned way," Aragorn said, fashioning a hook and line._

 _"Why? This is much easier," Strider said._

 _"Perhaps, but there may come a time during which you cannot rely on your magic. For that time, you should know how to fend for yourself as others do," he said. Strider sighed but obeyed; he fashioned himself a hook and line and sat on the edge of the river, the line dangling in the water._

 _"This is oddly relaxing," he mused._

 _"Another benefit," Aragorn said._

 _"How do you think everyone's faring?" Strider asked._

 _"Well, for the most part. Of course, they're all worried - how can they not be?"_

 _"True enough. What a time to be alive. Talk about exciting times," Strider said._

 _"And trying ones. These times will determine the course of the future - for better or worse. Our only job is to ensure that it's a hopeful one. One where parents and their children might leave their doors unlocked at night, or venture further from their village than they'd otherwise dare," Aragorn said._

 _"Or know each other at all," Strider said softly._

 _"Or know each other at all," Aragorn repeated. "Were you able to find anything?"_

 _"Nothing. I'll try once this is done. Perhaps I'll travel north. The Dúnedain must have some records," he said._

 _"Indeed. That's a wise idea. Although, you may wish to prepare for the eventuality that there may be nothing," Aragorn said._

 _"I already have," Strider said with a pained smile._

 _"What do you think of our Fellowship?" Aragorn asked, changing tracks._

 _"A motley crew, don't you think? We've got four Hobbits who don't know how to fight but are a damn good time; a Dwarf and Elf who, I think, are just waiting for a chance to prove which of them is the best of the bunch; three men, only one of whom is handsome; and a grouchy old wizard. Not a beauty amongst us," Strider sighed._

 _"I believe Boromir is a bit envious of you. Not all men are looked at so fondly by elves," Aragorn laughed._

 _"It's because he's old. Same with you. Make sure you oil your joints as well. I don't want to end up having to carry you two along," Strider laughed._

 _"Such irreverence," Boromir mused as he came up behind Strider and hit him upside the head._

 _"Ouch! What's that for?" Strider demanded._

 _"Irreverence, I'd say," Aragorn said._

 _"Hmph. I'll get you for that," Strider grumbled._

 _"I look forward to it," Boromir chuckled, fashioning himself a line and tossing it in the water. The three men sat in silence, enjoying the nature around them._

 _"What's Gondor like?" Strider suddenly asked._

 _"You've never been there?" Boromir asked._

 _"I haven't had traveled far east. Just north and south for the most part. The most I've done and traveled is Mirkwood, at Lord Thranduil's palace," Strider said._

 _"You must know Legolas, then," Boromir said._

 _"Not at all. I know Lord Thranduil has a son, but I only just met Legolas for the first time in Rivendell. He hasn't spent much time there the past 70 or so years, from what I understand," Strider said._

 _"I see. Gondor, however, is beautiful. It is magnificent. Minas Tirith is beautiful, towering above its surroundings. My father, the Steward, keeps a strong eye on the place as well as Mordor, right on its edge. I think you'll find it to your liking when we go there. You'll be welcomed like a king, my friend," Boromir said, clapping Strider on the shoulder._

 _"I look forward to it. I've always wanted to see it," Strider said, looking into the water._

 _"'Tis a thing of beauty," Boromir said softly._

 _"And we shall ensure its prosperity with the end of our quest," Aragorn said._

 _"We will. Of Gondor. Rohan. Mirkwood. The world," Strider said softly._

 _"Still…" Boromir began._

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"Would it not be better for us to use the ring? I know what the wizard says, but it cannot be denied that it is such a thing of power…"_

 _"I think we should trust Gandalf and Lord Elrond on this. They know better than anyone what that thing is capable of. Better it's destroyed and never seen again then given a chance to return its master to power," Strider said._

 _"You don't think it's a good idea to turn it on its master?" Boromir asked._

 _"I think it's better to deprive him of anything that could be used to aid him. The safest option is to destroy it and then crush Mordor underfoot," Strider said._

 _"Easier said than done," Boromir sighed._

 _"That's why we have such a Fellowship! I'm sure that everyone here is worth - at the very least - a hundred orcs. Maybe fifty for the little ones," Strider exclaimed._

 _"Fifty? Ha. They don't have a penchant for blades," Boromir chuckled._

 _"No, but have you seen how quiet they are? You might be strong, Boromir, but if one of them comes up behind you without raising your suspicion, you don't have much of a chance," Strider said._

 _"I suppose that's true enough. I'll have to watch my back and my front then," he said, getting up. As he left Aragorn and Strider alone, Strider noticed a strange look on Aragorn's face._

 _"What is it?"_

 _"Nothing important."_

 _"As you say."_

 _-o-_

"It wasn't long after that that we split. I headed to the village in the north where she would be staying. If I had flown, perhaps it would've been different. Maybe I could've gotten there on time. But I went by horse so as not to raise any undue suspicion. When I got there, the village was already destroyed. No one had been left alive, including her. That was the last," Strider said, gripping the railing. They felt the wind suddenly stop; it was as though his power was seeping out without his control, exacting its own on the elements.

"It wasn't your fault," Mira said softly.

"Of course it wasn't," Strider said coldly. Mira recoiled at the tone. "I stopped blaming myself quickly. I know exactly whose fault it was."

"The ones that did it… did you…" Lucy trailed off, afraid of the answer.

"Of course I did," he said without regret. The tone sent a chill down their spines.

-o-

 _Strider was recuperating at the home of Lord Thranduil, his body torn and burned. He looked at the wounds that he had suffered from his stay in the now destroyed fortress of Dol Guldur. His new home was more to his tastes - or at least it would've been under any other circumstance. He heard steps off to the side._

 _"Lord Thranduil," he said, immediately getting up._

 _"Stay seated," Thranduil said graciously, taking a seat opposite him._

 _"Thank you for your hospitality. I'm healing well," Strider said stoically._

 _"Yes, I can see that. At least the dominion of the fortress is broken over Mirkwood now. Although, perhaps, instead of coming here you should've seen to your friends," Thranduil said._

 _"I…" Strider trailed off, his head hanging in his hands._

 _HIs friends._

 _In his anger, he had all but abandoned them. As their faces touched his mind, he felt a hand grip his heart tighter and tighter. The little ones, the elf, the dwarf, the men, the wizard._

 _"What do you know?"_

 _"They have exited the Misty Mountains…" Thranduil said, looking off into the distance. "But they are one short, excluding yourself. I do not see the Wizard with them. Fire… and shadow."_

 _"Gandalf is dead?" Strider asked stunned._

 _"I do not believe so, no. But he is not with them. Where he is now, I cannot say. But have heart. The wizard is not easily defeated by anyone," Thranduil said._

 _"I have to go to them! My Lord, do you know where they are now?!" Strider exclaimed._

 _"Are you sure that is wise? You are not yourself now, Strider," Thranduil said._

 _"I'm sure! I can't just abandon them like this! I ha-have to go to them! Immediately!" Strider yelled. Several elves rushed in, but Thranduil held them at bay with a hand._

 _"As you wish. Your horse is ready and fed, and your equipment is prepared. You may leave as you desire. My home will be open to you should you wish to rest more," Thranduil said._

 _"Thank you, Lord Thranduil. I… I don't know how to thank you," Strider said, bowing low to him._

 _"Simply do as you do, Strider. That's what will help us all. Go to Lothlórien. That is where they shall be," Thranduil told him._

 _"At once, my lord!"_

 _Strider had never run so fast in his life; he had never run a horse so fast in his life; he had never been so angry in his life._

 _-o-_

 _"STRIDER!" Pippin yelled, running at him. Strider made it safely to the forest of Lothlórien, only running into a few orcs on the way. He killed them on instinct, not bothering to stop. Even as their heads flew and blood spurted, he didn't pay them any attention._

 _"Pippin!" Strider exclaimed, hugging the Hobbit. Merry, Sam, and Frodo followed, happy to see their friend. Strider looked around and saw the others, but his heart fell when he didn't see a bushy, grey beard._

 _"So Gandalf truly isn't here…" he trailed off._

 _"It was a Balrog," Legolas told him. Strider's heart fell; he knew what to expect._

 _"Strider. You don't think…" Sam trailed off._

 _"I'd be more worried for the Balrog, Sam," Strider said, trying to lift their moods. "Gandalf isn't someone to be trifled with. He's not just any old man. No, I don't think this is the last we've seen of him."_

 _"Are you sure?"_

 _"As sure as I can be," Strider nodded._

 _"Strider…" Aragorn said, putting a hand on his shoulder._

 _"Hmm?"_

 _"We know," Aragorn said. The Hobbits backed away a respectable difference._

 _"Lady Galadriel told us," Legolas said._

 _"Oh…" Strider whispered. He sat down on a nearby rock, holding his head in his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for leaving you like that. I'm sorry for not coming back. I…"_

 _"You've nothing to be sorry for," Aragorn told him, resting a hand on his shoulder. "But there is much to discuss. Are you able?"_

 _"I am. What is it?" Strider asked._

 _He followed Aragorn to a secluded spot._

 _"I fear that Gandalf's leaving has set in motion events we might not be able to prevent. Something gnaws at me. I've heard rumors of orcs that travel in the light of day; of orcs that are becoming more brazen in their attacks. Of others joining the enemy ranks. Gondor is at its extent, while Rohan has been absent," Aragorn said._

 _"What do you think should be done?" Strider asked._

 _"I have a different task in mind for you. One that will take you far from the Fellowship, but one that I need you to undertake," Aragorn said._

 _"You want me to leave?" Strider asked, surprised._

 _"I would not ask anyone else to do this. I ask this of you because I know your strength. Our journey to Mordor is one of stealth, but your Magic is more suited for something else. What I need is a decoy. A figure to lure eyes away from us, onto someone who could be a standard for others to gather around. I need someone to distract an All-Seeing Eye," Aragorn said seriously._

 _"You want me to… to go to war with the orcs? To make noise, essentially?" Strider asked._

 _"Yes," Aragorn confirmed. "Will you?"_

 _"I accept," Strider said immediately. He felt a jolt of excitement rush blast at his heart; he could almost see red._

 _"You'll need to gather your own fighting force. There are some I can recommend - and where to find them - but others you'll have to gather yourself. You will be the front line," Aragorn said._

 _"I know. I can do this. I can do it," Strider said._

 _"Thank you, Strider. I wouldn't ask this of anyone else," Aragorn said, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Get some rest. You'll leave before we do; make some noise as you go."_

 _"Yes, sir."_

 _-o-_

"So he gave you the task of fighting? While they snuck their way to the place?" Jenny asked.

"Yes. Even the best-laid plans go awry, though; we met up a short while after and our Fellowship was even more fracture. One of them died; two were kidnapped; two went off on their own, and three chased after the two that were taken. They all survived, but it was a harrowing time. Meanwhile, I did the best I could to make noise and raise a small fighting force," Strider said softly. He clenched and unclenched his fist several times; how many lives extinguished with his bare hands.

-o-

 _"Where will you go first?" Aragorn asked. Strider was making his final preparations. He went light; a small pack that had some essentials, his sword, his new cloak, and nothing else._

 _"Northwest, by myself. To Rhudaur. There's one particular person I want to recruit," Strider said._

 _"Very well. Here's another list for you to stick to if you wish. They'll know you as a friend," Aragorn said. Strider graciously accepted it and stored it close to his heart for safety. As his sleeve fell back, Aragorn sighed._

 _"What?" Strider asked._

 _"It appears you took some damage," Aragorn mused._

 _"Oh. I had a run-in with one of the Black Captains. A real bastard," Strider said._

 _"Be careful of their kind. The Black Númenorean's may be redeemable, but do not try too hard yet," Aragorn warned him._

 _"As you say," Strider said. With a heavy head, he looked up; the night was nigh. "I'll leave first thing in the morning and try to draw all the attention I can."_

 _"Very well. Before you go, I have a gift for you," Aragorn said._

 _"A gift?" Strider asked, bewildered. Aragorn smiled and reached into a small hole that was carved into a tree. From it, he pulled a stunning mithril crown - much like the one that he had gifted to Anairë. But instead of a bright blue jewel, in the headpiece was set a stunning obsidian stone. It looked like a beautiful, perfect night sky. Strider carefully took it from Aragorn's fingers; touching it, tears welled up in his eyes._

 _"How…"_

 _"Lady Galadriel had it brought here; she knew you'd come. It was a gift that Anairë intended to give to you on your return to Rivendell from the journey," Aragorn said softly._

 _"She…"_

 _"Yes. She loved you, Strider. Very much as you can see; not just anyone gifts another mithril, not even great kings. Keep it with you. Always."_

 _Strider was just silent. He fell back onto a tree stump while Aragorn gave him his space._

 _It was a long, sleepless, tearful night._

 _-o-_

 _Strider awoke with a start, his breathing heavy and sweat running down his body. He quickly sat up and got his bearings straight. He had fallen asleep at the bottom of a small hill, surrounded by the carcasses of the orcs he had slain hours prior. His horse, a beautiful black mare, lapped water from a nearby stream. Strider was happy to see that no blood had tainted it. He removed his clothes and telekinetically began to wash. He hadn't gotten far until he sensed someone nearby. His elvish blade flew to his hand and immediately, ready to spill more blood._

 _"Who's there?" Strider snarled._

 _"A friend," came the voice on the other end. Strider was surprised to see who emerged; a friend indeed._

 _"Talion?"_

 _"I see you've been busy," Talion said appreciatively, looking around at the carnage._

 _"Just the man I was looking for, in fact," Strider said with a small smile as he got dressed._

 _"For what?"_

 _"Something I know you'll want to be a part of," Strider said._

 _-o-_

 _"You weren't wrong. I'm interested. Deeply," Talion said sardonically. They were still amongst the carnage of orcs. He spat on one before kicking its head like a ball. "But why now?"_

 _Strider was silent. That told Talion everything he needed to know._

 _"I see," he said softly, clenching his fist. "I know how you feel, Strider."_

 _It was the utmost truth._

 _"So what say you, Ranger? Wraith?" Strider asked, his voice icier._

 _"You know my answer," Talion responded, his voice slightly changed. As Strider looked at him again, he saw a soft blue light emanating from one of his eyes; the Wraith was in agreement._

 _"Excellent."_

 _"Who else?" Talion asked. Strider handed him the list that Aragorn gave him. Talion smiled; he recognized some of the names._

 _"Leave them to me. We'll need more than men, though," he said._

 _"I'm going to pay Lord Thranduil a visit," Strider said._

 _"Soun-," Talion began before a shrill shriek cut him off. Strider and Talion looked towards the hill from where it came. There descending on them was a pack of Uruks._

 _"Uruk-hai. Daywalkers," Talion sighed._

 _"Finally some more!" Strider snarled. He telekinetically lifted a large boulder and hurled it at them, crushing a small number. "Come on, come on, come on! Come at me, you bastards! I'll slay you all right here, right now!"_

 _Talion just smiled; he had hardly seen Strider in such a way before. While it saddened him to know of his friend's loss, it gladdened him to see what the loss had turned him into. With a snarl, he vanished into shadow and infiltrated the Uruk ranks, Dominating and killing._

 _One that broke off towards Strider suddenly stopped. Its blade turned upon it and rammed through the neck. Strider kicked the blade through another's head before he spotted the commander. He quickly rushed him and with a clean slash, separated the head from the body. He raised it and let the blood soak his face, before throwing it into the ranks. As they saw the tongue grossly hanging out, their spirit began to crumble._

 _The rest became easy pickings for the Ranger and Strider. The battle, if it could be called as such, hadn't lasted more than a couple minutes. As the cleared up, Strider piled the carcasses on top of each other._

 _"Going to burn them?" Talion asked._

 _"Better than leaving them like this. Talk about unseemly. Besides, they have a distinct smell. I want the other orcs and Uruks to see and smell what happened here," Strider said softly. Talion simply watched as Strider finish the job._

 _-o-_

Strider decided to leave some of the particulars out for the others; they didn't need to know the specifics of what he did to the Uruk's that day.

"I was a different man back then," was all he said. His voice, however, carried no sense of regret; if anything, it was as though he was thinking about it wishfully.

"It was a war, though. There's no way it could've been different, right? If you didn't… you know… then it could've been you that died," Mira said.

"True enough, I suppose. Maybe I could've just sat back and let it pass me by. But at that point, I couldn't. I didn't want to," Strider said, looking at the stars. "I had spent my entire life preparing for a fight. I couldn't turn back at that point."

"How long did you fight for?" Erza asked.

"The war itself lasted for a year, but I had other loose ends to tie up. I was at it for a few more months after that. And a year after it had ended, I decided to come to Fiore," Strider said.

"To get away from everything?" Lucy asked.

"More or less, yes. Not a permanent thing, mind you. I love my homeland, and after spending so much of my life fighting for it, I can't abandon it so easily. But I needed a separation. I suppose I could've gone to one of the nearer continents, like Thedas to our east. But that was still to close. So I went far south."

"I speak for everyone when I say I'm glad you did," Bisca said. The others voiced their approval.

"Thank you," Strider said, managing a slight smile.

"I think that's enough for tonight," Mira said firmly, looking at the others. While most of them wanted him to continue, when they saw the tight grip he had on the railing in front of him, they relented. Each of the girls came up and gave him a hug and a kiss goodnight before slowly filing out. When Bisca came back after seeing them out, she saw him standing on top of the railing.

"What're you doing?" Bisca asked, worried.

"I'm just going to go for a little flight to clear my mind. I'll be back in a little bit," he said, levitating to the clouds.

-o-

As Strider flew just under a cloud, he looked over the city of Crocus. He moved his fingers gently, contorting the cloud above him into different shapes. Finally, he dispersed it into the air; where there once was a cloud, now there was nothing.

 _'Ever so easy,'_ he heard Anglachel whisper to him. Strider couldn't disagree; it was always easy with his powers. He could change nearly everything that he wanted to - except, he lamented, the most important things. For all his strength, he came short when it mattered most.

 _'Still, you had your revenge,'_ he thought, berating himself shortly afterward for having such a thought.

 _'Dismiss it all you wish; it doesn't change that which is,'_ Anglachel whispered. And the sword was right; even now, Strider wondered if he _would_ change it even if he could.

-o-

As he returned, he saw Bisca still waiting for him. Silently, she pulled him into a hug. Strider was statue-like for a moment before he returned it. Taking his hand, she led him to his bedroom, intending to make warmer, lovlier, and more passionate memories than those he was recalling.


	38. Leaving Crocus

**Something for the community to get in on if they so choose to - a big arc for this story will be Strider meeting and competing with champions of other countries. There are 13 slots available and if there's someone that you have in mind (a character of your own creation or an existing character) let me know and I'll see if I can work it in.**

-o-

"Last night was fun," Strider said with a smirk as Bisca came out, yawning.

"No kidding," she said, stealing a quick kiss before cuddling close to him. She pulled down her shirt a bit, exposing a large red mark. "Really fun. You're lucky I can cover this up, though."

"As well as something else," Strider laughed, running a hand down her back. She rolled her eyes and pulled it back up, kissing it before looking ahead.

"So…" she trailed off.

"Mhm?" Strider said.

"I think you know what I mean to ask," she said.

"I do," Strider said with a wry smile. "I don't know myself. I know it's not the answer you want to hear, but it's the truth. You're important to me, Bisca. Extremely important. But the others are as well."

"I know," Bisca sighed.

"It's a unique and oddly unenviable position, honestly. Especially when we're all so close," Strider said.

"You know you're loving it," she said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Strider laughed.

"Mhm, whatever you say, playboy. So - are you sure you're ready for the Century Quest?"

"As sure as I can be. I'm interested in seeing what's so powerful that wizards here haven't been able to take care of it for over a hundred years. It'll be difficult, that much is certain," Strider said.

"Even for you?"

"Even for me. While I'm strong, there are other Wizards - both in Fiore and Ishgar - that ought to be able to take care of something like this; especially a Wizard Saint. That tells me whatever it is will require serious attention," Strider said.

"Still, you should take someone along. I can snipe, if you want," Bisca offered.

"Kind of you, but not this time. I refuse to risk anyone's safety. Especially yours," Strider said, kissing her cheek.

"Just… be careful. Don't do anything too stupid," Bisca said.

"Too stupid? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Knowing you, you'll probably do something stupid," she sighed.

"I resent that," Strider grumbled.

"Mama!" Asuka soon cried out, running towards the two. Bisca kissed her before handing her over to Strider. Asuka looked at him expectantly.

"Right. As I promised, we'll go flying. Ready, Asuka?" Strider asked, holding her close.

"Ready!"

"Up we go," he said, levitating gently.

"YAY!" Asuka exclaimed as they went higher and higher. She kept her eyes wide open as the air gently rushed through her face. It wasn't long until the two had entered a cloud.

"COLD!" Asuka exclaimed, hugging Strider tighter. He smiled warmly and repelled it a bit, still allowing her to feel a gentle breeze. Asuka looked on in awe as water droplets fell against Strider's telekinetic barrier.

"Papa! That's so cool!"

"I'm glad you think so, Asuka," Strider said. Finally, as they broke out, Asuka let out her loudest gasp yet. Perched in the sky, as clear as she had ever seen it, was the sun. Nothing blotted it or obscured it above the clouds; only a vast expanse of sky.

"What do you think?" Strider asked.

"Whoa…" she whispered.

"I think so too," Strider said with a little laugh.

"How far is it?" Asuka asked.

"Both very far and very close," Strider said.

"Is there anything there?"

"Perhaps, but I don't think so. It's always so hot, that anything there might not be for very long," Strider said.

"You talk funny," Asuka giggled.

"Ha. Just how I was raised," Strider laughed.

"Papa, what was your papa like?" Asuka asked. Strider's smile fell for a split second before he regained it.

"I didn't know him very well. Him or my mother," he said sadly.

"Oh," Asuka said thoughtfully. "Oh! Papa, look! I can see a mountain!"

"Beautiful," Strider said, turning slightly. "That reminds me of a mountain back home. They call it the Lonely Mountain."

"Why?" Asuka asked.

"It's the only mountain for a long while. It's beautiful, just like that one," Strider said. "Now, do you want to try flying on your own?"

"I DON'T WANNA FALL!" Asuka exclaimed, gripping him tighter.

"I wouldn't let that happen," Strider said, patting her on the back. "I'll hold on to your hand, alright? It's really easy."

"Kay," she said tentatively. She held on to Striders' hand tightly. Slowly, he let go.

"Whoa…" Asuka said again, eyes wide. She moved up and down a bit, Strider going with her. Finally, she broke into a massive grin and let out a loud cry of delight.

"I'M FLYING!"

"Yes you are," Strider laughed. He watched fondly as Asuka - rather quickly - got a hold of the basics of flying. It wasn't long until she was slowly leading him along, dipping in and out of clouds or shooting high and diving low.

"YAY!" She squealed with delight as they plunged down through a cloud, back towards the penthouse. Strider soon saw Bisca come into view, a smile visible as she watched how the two interacted.

"Lets set down, for now, Asuka. Don't worry, I promise we'll fly a lot later," Strider said.

"Kay. Thanks, papa," she said, hugging him as they set down.

"You're very welcome," Strider said, ruffling her hair. She gave Bisca a quick hug and kiss before running into the room, yelling for Wendy - no doubt to tell her what just happened.

"Thanks for that," Bisca said, giving him a quick kiss.

"I was happy to do it," Strider said. "So, about ready to head back home?"

"You bet. Last night here," Bisca sighed. While she had come to love Crocus, she wanted to escape the crowd and get back to peaceful Magnolia.

"It'll be nice to get back," Strider said. "As they say, there's no place like home."

"Are you going to set out for the Century Quest as soon as we get back?" Bisca asked.

"I think so. Whatever it is, I want to do deal with it quickly," Strider said.

"I don't want to annoy you, so I won't say it again," Bisca sighed.

"It doesn't annoy me at all. I'm flattered that you worry so much about me," Strider said, kissing her cheek. She smiled and snuggled closer to him, her head turned up.

-o-

"STRIDER!" Natsu exclaimed as he and Gray blew in during lunch. The girls were already seated around his table, with Strider grumbling at the end.

"I thought getting this suite would mean I could get some privacy. If I had known that it would become the hotbed of all guild activity, I would've just camped out," he grumbled.

"Cry us a river," Mira laughed.

"Yeah. So many beautiful girls just come to your room every day. You should show more appreciation," Cana giggled.

"Besides, it's your fault for choosing this room!" Lucy exclaimed.

"I thought champions would get more respect than this," Strider complained.

"Mr. Champion better be sure to clear his plate," Bisca laughed as she fed Asuka.

"You can have my veggies!" Asuka offered.

"That's clever," Strider laughed, ruffling her hair. "Anyways, what's up Natsu, Gray?"

"Did you know there's a job board here?" Natsu asked, piling his plate.

"I think so. Did you pick a job for us to do here?" Strider asked.

"Seemed pretty cool. S-Class, 12 million jewel reward. It just got posted today. Something about a dangerous clean up under the castle?" Gray explained. The others looked intrigued as they gathered around the listing.

"12 million jewels for a cleanup?" Strider asked surprised.

"I wonder if they're talking about that pit," Mira said, frowning.

"Wouldn't surprise me. You all mentioned there were a lot of… sights down there," Strider said, glancing at Asuka. He didn't want to get into to much detail.

"Yeah," Mira sighed, remembering the bones with a shudder. "I think you guys should take it. It'd be nice to get rid of that place."

"Erza? Wendy?" Strider asked.

"Certainly," Erza agreed. Wendy nodded her agreement as well.

"Guess we'll head on over after we finish up, then," Strider said.

-o-

"Princess," Strider said graciously. Hisui met them at the entrance as soon as she heard that they would be taking the request.

"Hello, Strider. You're well?"

"Any better and it'd be a sin. Will you be taking us to where the request can be completed?"

"Yes. Please, follow me. Unfortunately, I can't escort you all the way there. My father was insistent that I take you to the entrance. I don't think he wants me down there," she said, a trace of guilt in her voice.

"It's fine, Princess. I'm just happy that you guys are getting rid of that place," Lucy said. Wendy, Natsu, Carla, and Happy nodded their agreement.

"What do you plan on doing with it after its cleared?"

"We've yet to decide that. It's quite a tremendous space and I think that it can be put to good use, but I'm not quite sure what," Hisui said.

"Maybe a theme park?" Gray said. The others raised a brow as they looked at him.

"It's cold, dark, and damp. No way," Lucy said lamely.

"Another arena, perhaps?" Erza suggested.

"Not a bad idea, but I don't think so. We wouldn't be able to convince many people to go down there, I think. If anything, a large storage space might be it. Or, in case of natural disasters or something along those lines, perhaps we could turn it into a safe place," Hisui said.

"Whatever it is, I'm sure it'll be better than its current occupation. What would you like done?" Strider asked.

"Just general cleaning. It requires Wizards and is an S-Class job because of the number of bones, debris, and residual magic down there," she said.

"Shouldn't take long," Strider mused.

"There's a lot of bones there," Lucy sighed.

"Telekinesis, remember? Just gather them into one spot and I'll take care of the rest," Strider said. "So Princess, have you had any word on the other countries championships?"

"I have, actually. I was going to tell you today. 9 other champions have been decided over the last few days, as most of our tournaments ran concurrently. There are four more that will happen over the next few days and the date of the next context will be decided a few days after they finish. It'll be another, similar event to decide the Champion of Ishgar," Hisui said.

"14 Champions in total, huh?" Lucy mused.

"Yes. There will be battles each day to reduce your numbers until only one remains," Hisui said.

"I will do my best to represent Fiore," Strider said.

"I've no doubt about that," Hisui said with a charming smile. "Anyways, we're here. Thank you again for taking this request. Please, come see me after you've finished.

-o-

"Wow. So depressing," Strider mused as he telekinetically levitated all the bones he could to a large, central room. Lucy's spirits were helping her carry some, while Erza and Natsu tossed them in the heap; Wendy used her Sky Dragon powers to load them up and Gray slid them across a large ice slide.

"No kidding. Ugh, I was hoping I never had to come here again," Lucy sighed.

"You can leave if you'd like, Lucy. I'm sure we can handle it," Strider said.

"No. It's fine. I really want this place gone," Lucy said.

"Strider - do you know what to expect from the other champions?" Erza wondered.

"Not really. All I can be sure of is that they're probably strong. It's not easy to come out in front of your peers," Strider said.

"They must be really powerful. Champion," Lucy pondered.

"I don't really know what to expect of these other countries, honestly. Fiore is about all that I know," Strider mused. "They might have something that can't be found elsewhere; perhaps even a powerful secret. I certainly can't underestimate anyone that I'm going up against. I'll have to give it my all."

"Just try not to hurt them too bad," Lucy said lamely.

"No promises," he chuckled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be the one getting hurt."

"Why do I doubt that?" Lucy questioned.

"Looks like that's about it. Apply a little telekinesis… and voila," Strider said. Where there had been a mountain of bone stood only a sphere of the material. It was almost perfect white, interrupted by a few specks and streaks of black. Save for the dirt and dust, the cavern was now immaculate. Levitating it behind them, Strider led the others out.

-o-

"2 million jewels," Lucy drooled, rubbing the large sack against her cheek.

"That's unbecoming of a lady," Carla sighed.

"She's just really happy, Carla," Wendy giggled.

"Are all of the damages paid off?" Strider wondered.

"At last. This time, we can actually enjoy our reward," Erza said.

"And it's all thanks to Strider keeping Natsu and Gray in line!" Lucy exclaimed cheerfully, giving Strider a quick hug before scurrying off to enjoy her reward a bit more in private.

"Ah! A cake shop. Excuse me," Erza said. Wendy and Carla decided to follow her to celebrate a bit as well, leaving Natsu, Gray, and Strider still walking.

"I just realized that us three haven't really spent much guy time together," Strider mused.

"Huh. Never really thought about it," Gray admitted.

"Unless it's fighting," Natsu added.

"I don't think I've ever met anyone that loves to fight as much as you two or Gajeel," Strider laughed.

"What! I love to fight WAY more than Elsa or that Iron-Headed Freak!" Natsu shouted.

"ARE YOU KIDDING?! I'VE BEEN IN WAY MORE FIGHTS THAN YOU!" Gray shouted at Natsu.

"YEAH RIGHT! I LIVED TO FIGHT IN PHANTOM LORD!" Gajeel shouted as he interjected out of seemingly nowhere. Strider just sighed and took his leave; he had a feeling this would continue for a while.

-o-

"Will you be staying in Crocus for long?" Kagura asked as she joined Strider on his walk.

"Hello, Kagura. I believe we're leaving tomorrow, actually. I've to prepare for my next quest, plus I think we've seen much of what the city has to offer. How about your guild?"

"We're leaving tonight, actually. We have to get back to training and making sure we're ready to receive Master Yoruichi and Soi Fon on their return. Plus, our reigning Master wants to get back to our guild hall," she sighed.

"I thought you were in charge when Yoruichi isn't here?" Strider said.

"There's one more person above me in that regard," Kagura sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"This person seems to be a bit of a handful," Strider chuckled.

"You have no idea," Kagura grumbled, eliciting another laugh from him.

"Perhaps you might consider dropping by Magnolia sometime? We'd be happy to receive you. I think it'd make Erza happy as well," Strider said.

"I will try my best," Kagura said, appreciating the offer. "Perhaps you would like to come visit our guild sometime?"

"Certainly. What's your guild hall like?" Strider asked. Now that he thought about it, Fairy Tail's was really the only one he had anything to go off of.

"Nothing too spectacular. It's similar to a large beach house," Kagura said.

"Really?" Strider asked, surprised.

"Mhm. We're Mermaid Heel, so it makes sense that we're located on the water. Master Yoruichi used to come to the same beach as a child, so she decided to open it there," Kagura explained.

"Interesting. Honestly, I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't a beach house," Strider said.

"Everyone knows what Fairy Tail's guild hall looks like, of course," Kagura said.

"Benefits of being a troublemakers guild," Strider said.

"Much less so recently, it seems. Perhaps you've been a moderating influence," Kagura said.

"Oh, I certainly hope not. The rambunctiousness is part of the reason I love my guild. I wouldn't want them to be as boring as I," Strider said.

"You're certainly not boring," Kagura said.

"Not for lack of trying, at least. Too much excitement is a bane," Strider grumbled.

"I can imagine," Kagura giggled.

"That was cute," Strider said, turning her a little red. "Ah, you're blushing. Always nice to see."

"Ugh…" Kagura grumbled. "Anyways, I wanted to ask how you're feeling. You didn't seem well yesterday."

"Ah. Yes. That," Strider said. He gave her a brief overview of what had happened the past couple nights. Kagura just nodded.

"It must be hard for you," she whispered.

"It's not easy, that much is certain. That said, it's necessary. I wouldn't want my guildmates to distrust me," Strider said.

"I don't think they distrust you at all," Kagura said.

"I hope not," Strider said reflectively. "It's not something that one often voices. They might not even be aware of the fact. But doubtlessly, it's there. I want to assuage them as much as I can."

"Are you alright with it, though?"

"More so now than I was seven years ago. Far enough removed and matured, I suppose," Strider said.

"Do you trust me? I mean, enough to tell me that," Kagura said.

"Everything? Or just telling you that I've been telling the others?" Strider asked.

"The latter," Kagura clarified.

"Hmm. Yes. I do trust you, I mean. I know you're a good person, at least. Otherwise, you would've revenged yourself upon Jellal by now. That you were able to hold back, even as you saw him - it's quite admirable. You're an aspiration for others, I think. For me, certainly," Strider said, eliciting a deeper blush.

"You're too kind," she said softly.

"There are worse things to be," Strider chuckled.

"If you don't mind - could I ask Erza about it? I don't want you to have to relive it," Kagura said. She quickly added, "I hope I'm not overstepping."

"Not at all. If you're that curious, then feel free to ask her. You may encounter her in one of the cakeshops around the city. She's spending her reward," Strider said.

"Thank you," Kagura said.

"Not at all," Strider said. "I've been meaning to ask other people - do you know anything about the other countries of Fiore?"

"Why do you ask?" Kagura wondered.

"They all have their own champions and I'm expecting to go up against them sooner or later. The princess gave me a brief overview of them and I've read a little in books, but I don't think I've met anyone that's actually spent some time there. I was hoping you might be able to impart a bit of knowledge," Strider said.

"Unfortunately, I can't help you there," Kagura sighed dejectedly. She'd always wanted to travel, but it took a second seat to revenging Simon. Now, she hoped that she might get the chance. "If I could, I would, but I've only ever known Fiore. Mostly my village and the beach where Mermaid Heel is. Sorry."

"It's fine," Strider said placatingly. "You know, something tells me we should all go on an extended trip or something. I love Fiore and Magnolia, but I'm itching to see the rest of Ishgar."

"It seems as though you haven't had enough excitement," she said with a slight smirk.

"Ha! Not even close!" Strider said cheerfully. "No, there's still so much of the world left to see. I imagine even more is unexplored. Might as well be me."

"Do you ever see yourself settling down in one place?"

"I think I'm pretty well settled for now. But I'm still in the bloom of my youth, you know. Ask me again in a hundred years."

"I might not be alive then," Kagura said.

"You never know," Strider said with a wink.

"Anyways, I'm going to head back. I hope we see each other again soon," Kagura said.

"As do I. In case we don't for a while, a parting gift," Strider said. He quickly leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. He laughed inward as he heard Kagura gasp sharply, her hands against his chest. He held his position for several seconds before giving her a wink and taking his leave. Kagura stood rooted to the position for a minute before hurrying away, bright red and smiling.

-o-

"Hello, Master Mavis," Strider said, coming upon the young master. He took a seat next to her, dangling his feet just above some water.

"Hello, Strider. Are you ready to head back home?"

"I am. You'll be joining us, I hope," Strider said.

"I will. I'm quite enjoying being here," she giggled.

"Happy to hear it," Strider said. He skipped a stone across the water. "Master Mavis. There's something I need to talk to you about."

"I think I know what it is, Strider," Mavis said with a deep sigh. Yes, she had been wondering when this would come up.

"I imagine you do. I'm not quite sure what to say about the matter. I would be lying if I felt any regret. But just as much, I don't feel comfortable keeping it from everyone," Strider said contemplatively. "What do you recommend?"

"I'm not sure myself. If I'm honest, I still can't quite believe it. Zeref is - was - the strongest wizard of the past few centuries. That you've slain him is… something else," Mavis said.

"That much I've gathered," he said dully. "Are you angry?"

"Why would I be angry?" Mavis asked.

"I assumed that he was there for some reason. It's not an island one could easily just stumble upon. And considering he's been around for so long - and you were around a hundred years ago - I just figured that there may be something there. I won't press you, of course," Strider said.

Mavis was quiet for a long while. She looked sideways at him, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Thank you. I'm not sure it's something I want to get into right now, however," she said.

"As you wish," Strider nodded. "But should we tell them? Or Master Makarov at least?"

"I will speak to him about it personally," Mavis said.

"Very well. Please keep me posted," he said, motioning to get up.

"Strider," she said.

"Hmm?"

"How exactly did you pull it off?"

"A conversation for another day, Master Mavis. Suffice it to say that it's something that ought to die with me," Strider said with a sad smile.

"You can trust me, you know. You're a part of Fairy Tail. I would keep it to my end," she said. Strider just smiled and ruffled her hair, eliciting a whine.

"Thank you, First Master. At a later time," Strider said. As she watched him go, Mavis noted he was slightly slumped.

-o-

"Hello Juvia," Strider said, coming up behind the Water Wizard. She squealed cutely, almost falling over; quickly, he caught her.

"My love!"

"Ah, be careful," he said, pulling her back up. "What're you up to?"

"I was just thinking of going for a walk," she said.

"May I join you?"

"Really?" Juvia asked excitedly.

"Of course. That or anything else you'd like to do. As I promised," Strider said.

"A walk would be nice," she said, happily holding his arm. Strider smiled and let her guide him outside the city limits and into the forest.

"There's a beautiful stream not to far away," she said.

"Oh? I thought there was just the river?"

"Most people stop as soon as they see the river but going a bit further in leads you to the stream. No one goes there, it seems," she said.

"Me included, it seems," Strider chuckled. "Ready to get back home?"

"I am. It'll be nice to be at Fairy Hills again with everyone. Not to mention, I miss our guild hall," Juvia said.

"That seems to be a common thread for everyone staying here. When I first arrived in Ishgar, I thought guilds might be more transient. How wrong I was," Strider said.

"Guild halls are really important to wizards. They're the heart and soul of the guild. A guild hall says a lot about the guild it houses," Juvia said.

"What was the Phantom Lord guild hall like?"

"Cold," Juvia said with a slight shiver. Strider held her closer, something she was thankful for. She leaned in before continuing, "Our master encouraged fighting, in and out of the guild. It was large, but overbearing, much like our master. It wasn't a place one could feel at ease in."

"And Fairy Tail?"

"Much warmer and closer. Fighting abounds, but thankfully it's only Natsu and Gray," she sighed. "But everyone's much kinder to one another. And master Makarov stays in the main hall. Master Porla used to stick to his throne room."

Were there any other guilds you ever considered joining?" Strider asked.

"Not really, now that I think about it," Juvia said thoughtfully. "I suppose Blue Pegasus, Lamia Scale, or Mermaid Heel would be my next choices."

"Kagura mentioned that their guild hall is located on the beach. That might be suitable for you," Strider said.

"That does sound nice. But thankfully, we're perched right on the water as well," she said.

"No kidding. It's a beautiful view," Strider agreed.

"Is there any other guild you would want to join?"

"Ha. Not remotely. I'm afraid it's Fairy Tail or bust for me," he chuckled.

"Really?"

"Certainly. I can't join Mermaid Heel, and while I enjoy spending time with Jenny, I'm not sure Blue Pegasus would be the right fit for me. Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, and Sabertooth… mmm, I can't see myself there either."

"What about starting your own guild?" Juvia asked.

"Now there's an interesting idea. Huh. I've never even thought about it," Strider said, rubbing his chin. "But I'm not sure if I could be as good of a master as Makarov or Mavis. I don't think guild master is in the cards for me. I'm just happy to be part of one."

"Speaking of guild halls, I must remember to go on a job once we get back," Juvia said.

"Why don't you join Team Natsu? We'd love to have you, plus I think we could use someone of your skill," Strider said.

"Really?" Juvia asked excitedly.

"Sure. Just ask Natsu and Erza for their OK when we get back," Strider said.

"I will. Thank you," she said, hugging him a bit closer.

"Not at all," he said.

"I'm curious, though - why do you still call yourself Team Natsu? Considering the fact that you're likely the de facto leader, wouldn't it be better to call yourself Team Strider? Or Striders Squad?"

"Striders Squad, eh? Oh, now that's good…" Stride said ponderously. "But no. Natsu's the one who put the team together and asked me to join; I think it's only right to keep it Team Natsu. Besides, if it was about leadership, I think Erza would've had it before I did."

"True enough. I remember fighting her during the S-Class Trials. I never knew that Fairy Tail S-Class wizards were so powerful before," Juvia said.

"Erza's something else. A warrior through and through," Strider said.

"All of Fairy Tail is like that, now that I think about it. No wonder people call us troublemakers," Juvia whined. Strider could only laugh.

-o-

"You were right. This is beautiful," Strider said, admiring the crisp blue waters of the stream. He gathered some in his hand and took a drink, sighing exaltedly at the cool feeling it sent through his body. "More so with present company."

Juvia smiled and blushed, cuddling close to him. They laid down, her resting her head on his chest. He ran a hand softly through her hair; it was silky, smooth, and cool, as though running his fingers across the water. She shivered in pleasure at the feeling, tracing her fingers along his chest and stomach.

"This is wonderful," she said softly.

"It is. I'm happy that you're getting more comfortable around me," Strider said.

"Sorry about that. I have a tendency to… you know," she said lamely.

"Ha. It's fine. If anything, it's flattering," Strider chuckled.

"Are you sure it doesn't bother you?"

"I'm certain. You're a sweet and wonderful girl, Juvia. I know you mean well," Strider said. Juvia smiled, contenting herself with being close to him for now. She tightened her hold a bit and soon dozed off.

-o-

"I'm off to find Erza and ask her about joining," Juvia said as they got back to the city.

"Sounds good to me. Take care," Strider said, kissing her head. He chuckled as he felt a slight wetness, breaking into full laughter as she ran off.

As he continued through the city, he paused here and there to sign autographs and take pictures. It wasn't long until he collapsed on a bench, drained.

"I'd rather face off with Orcs than do another signing," he whispered to himself.

"You don't look well," Meredy said, popping up behind him.

"Because he can't handle being so popular," Ultear said, popping up on the other side.

"That's pretty much it. Hello Meredy, Ultear."

"Doing alright, champ?" Meredy asked, sitting next to him.

"As well as I can be. Are you three about ready to leave Crocus as well?"

"Yup. Got plenty of leads to follow up on. We'll be reaching out to the guilds soon about going on the jobs," Ultear said.

"Sounds good. I think everyone's itching for another fight," Strider said.

"You're going on your Century Quest soon, right?" Meredy asked.

"As soon as we get back. Tomorrow or the next day, most likely," Strider said.

"Do you want one of us to come along?" Ultear asked.

"Na. I think it's best that I handle this one on my own," Strider said.

"Do you know which one you're doing?"

"Blossom Valley Shrine. A 500-year-old quest that hasn't been attempted in the last hundred years. Whatever it is, it's going to be interesting," Strider said, smiling a bit. It was an eerie look that sent a shiver through the two.

"Do you two have any idea what it might be?" Strider asked.

"Not the faintest. I never even considered doing one of those quests," Ultear said.

"That jobs even older than Zeref. That should give you an idea of how difficult it's gonna be," Meredy said.

"Exceedingly so, it appears. Ah, well what is life without some risk?"

"Famous last words," Meredy grumbled.

"No kidding. Just be careful," Ultear said.

"I know, I know," Strider said; he had heard the same plenty of times already.

"Have you had a chance to test out your powers yet? With your Second Origin unlocked, I mean?" Ultear asked.

"Not quite. I'll likely find out during the quest. If it helps and I make it out alive, I'll be sure to treat you to the greatest dinner man or woman has ever known," Strider said.

"I look forward to it," Ultear giggled. Meredy raised an eye but smiled; she didn't often - or ever, really - see Ultear like this.

"Where's Jellal?" Strider wondered, looking around.

"He's getting ready to leave. He'll be leaving tonight before us to follow up on a good lead regarding Tartaros," Meredy said.

"Be careful. Demons aren't easy creatures to deal with," Strider said.

"Speaking from experience?" Meredy asked.

"I don't have any with demons of Ishgar, but I get a feeling that they aren't dissimilar throughout the world. They might not be as powerful as a dragon, but present their own set of challenges. Best not to mess around and deal with the problem quickly," Strider said.

"That's about the gist of what we've agreed on. He knows not to do anything stupid," Meredy said.

"Unless it's around Erza," Ultear laughed. Strider joined along.

"Time I was on my way. Ladies," he said, getting up.

"Bye. Again, careful," Meredy said, giving him a quick hug.

"Take it seriously," Ultear warned, doing the same.

"Your lips, to my heart," Strider said before leaving.

"So Ultear…" Meredy began. Ultear didn't answer, her eyes fixed on his back.

-o-

"I see you decided to stick around, Saint Hyberion," Strider said coolly as he came across the vampiric saint. Hyberion frowned but bowed slightly.

"Indeed. Your showing at the Games was impressive."

"You're too kind," Strider said.

"We will be traveling to your home soon to view the body?" Hyberion asked.

"Upon my return from the Century Quest," Strider said.

"Yes, Makarov did say something about that. You believe yourself powerful enough to complete it?"

"I certainly hope so, else the result won't be in my favor," Strider said.

"Perhaps we should view the body beforehand, just in case," Hyberion said.

"Perhaps. Perhaps not. I lean towards the latter," Strider said. "All the Saints will be in attendance?"

"Most, at least. Yoruichi may not, perhaps," Hyberion said.

"Just as well," Strider said. "If that'll be all."

"Another question," Hyberion said.

"Hmm?"

"You are not from Fiore, correct?"

"Correct."

"You are not from Ishgar either?"

"Correct."

"You hail from the Northern Continent?"

"I do."

"And what other intentions do you have?"

"Pardon?"

"Why have you come to this land?"

"To explore it. I'm in my youth still. I've time to see the world."

"That's all? Such a benign reason?"

"Of course. I can't very well bring ships or anything here. Have you ever tried to cross the Great Sea?"

"I've not."

"Nor would you be able to. Nor would many others, I imagine. Unless people manage to conquer the sea, they won't be able to conquer other countries. At least, I imagine that was the implication."

"Simple curiosity."

"It never is with politicians, unfortunately. But I've little to hide. So long as you offer me general hospitality, feel free to ask what you wish."

"You seem to disdain politicians."

"Ha. Doesn't everyone?"

"Perhaps," Hyberion shrugged. "You may have a challenger soon as well. God Serena wishes to test your mettle."

"Oh? He's considered the strongest wizard in Ishgar, is he not?"

"He is. As such, he's been watching the champions of each country and is interested in the outcome of the battle. As such, he would like to test their powers."

"Tell him he's free to do so. Perhaps he would like to accompany me on my Century Quest? Surely he can handle it."

"I'm afraid its far to short notice to accommodate such a request," Hyberion said.

"But of course. I'll indulge him at a later date, then. Until next time, Saint."

"Until next time, Strider.

-o-

"Master Makarov," Strider said as he came upon the old man.

"Strider. I just had a talk with Master Mavis," Makarov said gravely.

"I see. What do you think, Master?"

"I'm not quite sure what to think my boy. It's something of a cross between joy and sheer shock. To think that you may have killed Zeref…" Makarov sighed.

"I don't know if it's more or less serious than killing Acnologia," Strider said.

"About the same, I'd say. While they both had passed into legend, they may well be considered the scourges of our time. That they aren't alive to spread destruction anymore is a good thing. Still… it's a serious thing to discuss," Makarov said.

"Do you think we should tell the Saints? I just had another talk with Hyberion," Strider said.

"Let's hold off on this for now. Other Dark Guilds are still active and we don't know how they might react to this news. Not to mention, we don't have a body that we can retrieve. It'd likely have washed away into the Great Sea, making it unretrievable at this point. You're sure of what you did, though?"

"Decapitation isn't something easily recovered from, sir," Strider said.

"True," Makarov sighed. "Master Mavis and I will see how we can verify it for sure. Otherwise, though, I think its best to leave it at that for now. Don't tell anyone just yet."

"As you wish, Master," Strider said.

"Strider. How do you feel about it?"

"The act itself, you mean?" Strider asked.

"Yes."

"He seemed more scared than anything when I met him. Nothing like what the stories would indicate. I almost felt a little bad. That said, immortality is often a curse. He wanted an end to it and I merely obliged. I don't feel strongly about it one way or the other, I suppose," Strider said.

"I see. Thank you," Makarov said.

"Not at all. Incidentally, I'll be taking on the Blossom Valley Shrine quest."

"Very well. I'll arrange it," Makarov said.

"Thank you. I'll take my leave," Strider said.

"Strider," Makarov suddenly said.

"Sir?"

"Take it easy. Easier, rather," Makarov said. Strider just smiled and nodded before leaving.

-o-

Night had set and Strider stood by himself on the balcony. As word of his intention to immediately take on the Century Quest had spread, most of the girls decided it would be better to give him a reprieve for the next few nights. They wanted as much of his focus to be on the quest ahead.

"What do you think, relic?" Strider asked Anglachel.

' _Of what, Dúnedan_?'

"The Century Quest. A 500-year-old shrine. A relic on its own," Strider said.

' _What of it? Whatever it is, it shall be slain. I will tear through it. Flesh. Bone. Metal. Ether. What matters it to you or_ I _? The end of the enemy is what we seek, and what shall be achieved. Wield me well. I grow thirsty_ ,' Anglachel whispered.

"Tell me something I don't know," Strider said.

' _The Shrine. The Volcano. The Mountain. The country of slaves. This side of the Great Sea or the other; this side of the Chasm or the other. The world remains to be seen. Peace remains to be achieved. You have not fulfilled your own ends yet, Dúnedan. Nor have I. You carry me still, yet you could have buried me when you wished. I know your heart better than you do, for what is in yours is in mine. Wield me well, Dúnedan. Slake my thirst and I will achieve you your peace_ ,' Anglachel whispered before going silent.

With a heavy sigh, Strider went to bed.

-o-

The guild was congregated in the lobby of the hotel late afternoon the following day.

"The kings sending his own personal convoy to take us home," Mira told everyone.

"The benefit of being a champion. You're welcome, all," Strider said with a smirk.

"Mhm. Being champion sure has its perks," Cana giggled.

"Flyings easier, though," Strider said.

"Yeah, but we can't just say no to the king," Mira said.

"Don't leave without me!" Jenny squealed in the distance as she joined them.

"You're coming with us, Jenny?" Lucy asked.

"Of course! Striders going on his Century Quest! I can't miss welcoming him back! I've got a special surprise just for you when you get back," she said seductively.

"Oh? I can't wait to find out what it is," Strider grinned.

"Definitely not what you're thinking," Jenny sighed.

"Ah," Strider said lamely, eliciting giggles and punches from the others.

"I hope you don't mind, but I'll be going with you as well," Kagura said as she approached.

"Really? What about your guild?" Strider asked, surprised.

"I imparted on Rangiku in excruciating detail what would happen to her if the guild hall isn't as good as how we left it," Kagura sighed.

"Rangiku?" Strider asked.

"Our third in command."

"Why didn't she participate in the Games?" Strider wondered.

"Mostly because she was drunk throughout them," Kagura said.

"Looks like our ride is here. Let's get going," Makarov said. They piled into the several large coaches that were prepared for them. With a final look at Crocus, the guilds returned home.


End file.
